HOW  I  GROSSED  AFRICA: 


ATLANTIC  TO  THE  INDIAN  OCEAN,  THROUGH  UNKNOWN  COUNTRIES ; 
DISCOVERY  OF  THE  GREAT  ZAMBESI  AFFLUENTS,  4c. 


By  MAJOR  SERPA  PINTO. 


TRANSLATED  FROM  THE  AUTHOR'S  MANUSCRIPT 

By  ALFEED  ELWES. 

IN    TWO  VOLUMES. 

CONTAINING    15    MAPS   AND    FACSIMILES    AND   132  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Vol.  I.— THE   KING'S  RIFLE. 


PHILADELPHIA 
J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  &  CO. 
1881. 


TO  HIS  MAJESTY  THE  KING, 
D.  LUIZ  I., 

BY  GRACIOUS  PERMISSION 

THIS  BOOK  IS  DEDICATED  BY 


THE 


(    T  ) 


It  was  no  feeling  of  servile  adulation  which 
induced  me  to  pray  Your  Majesty's  permission  to 
dedicate  to  you  this  Book  ;  it  was  rather  the  recog- 
nition of  a  double  debt  of  justice  and  gratitude, — of 
justice  to  the  intelligent  and  enlightened  monarch  who 
signed  the  decree  which  created  resources  for  the  first 
Portuguese  scientific  expedition  of  the  present  century 
to  Central  Africa, — of  gratitude  to  the  prince  whose 
endowments,  both  of  heart  and  mind,  are  on  a  par 
with  his  lofty  qualities,  and  render  him  one  of  the  first 
constitutional  rulers  of  contemporary  Europe. 

Your  Majesty  gave  me  the  opportunity  of  connect- 
iug  the  obscure  name  of  a  Portuguese  soldier  with  one 
of  the  happiest  and  most  auspicious  attempts  essayed 
in  modern  times  by  Portugal. 

And  this  work  belongs  therefore  to  Your  Majesty, 
as  a  legitimate  title  of  my  profound  gratitude.  I  con- 
sequently venture  respectfully  to  entreat  Your  Majesty 


(   vi  ) 

to  be  good  enough  to  accept  the  humble  offering  in  the 
same  benevolent  spirit  wherewith  you  deigned  to  spur 
me  on  to  an  enterprise  of  which,  at  its  close,  Your 
Majesty's  favours  were  still  held  to  be  the  sincerest  and 
most  treasured  recompense. 

Your  aide-de-camp 

And  most  devoted  of 

Your  subjects, 

Alexandre  de  Serpa  Pinto. 


London,  61  Gower  Street, 
bth  December,  1880. 


(  yii  ) 


TO  HIS  EXCELLENCY,  COUNSELLOK 
JOlO  D'ANDRADE  CORVO. 


Most  Illustrious  and  Excellent  Sir, 

In  submitting  my  name,  in  1877,  to  the  Central 
Permanent  Commission  of  Geography  with  a  view 
to  my  forming  part  of  the  Portuguese  expedition  to 
the  interior  of  Africa,  Your  Excellency  assumed  the 
responsibility  of  my  nomination. 

It  was  my  constant  desire  to  give  Your  Excellency 
the  fullest  satisfaction  for  thus  venturing  to  select  me 
for  the  performance  of  so  arduous  a  task. 

This  book  contains,  together  with  a  narrative  of  my 
adventures,  the  results  of  my  labours  and  studies. 

I  do  not  know  whether  they  will  come  up  to  Your 
Excellency's  expectations  ;  and  I  am  just  as  ignorant 
whether  I  have  properly  fulfilled  the  duties  which  Your 
Excellency,  in  the  name  of  our  country,  intrusted  to  me. 

I  have,  however,  the  consciousness  that  I  did 
my  best,  and  that  I  followed  out,  so  far  as  human 
strength  enabled  me  to  do,  Your  Excellency's  ideas 
and  instructions. 

A  perusal  of  my  narrative  will  show  Your  Excel- 
lency with  how  many  difficulties  I  struggled,  and  how 
poor  were  the  resources  I  at  last  had  at  my  disposal. 


(  vili  ) 


If,  however,  the  results  of  my  labours  are  found  to 
correspond  to  the  confidence  with  which  Your  Ex- 
cellency was  good  enough  to  honour  me,  they  will 
constitute  the  highest  praise  to  which  I  can  aspire, 
being,  as  I  am,  the  most  respectful  admirer  of  Your 
Excellency's  talent,  vast  knowledge,  and  elevated 
qualities. 

Alexandre  de  Serpa  Pinto. 

London,  61  Gower  Street, 
2Sth  November,  1880. 


(    ix  ) 


A  TRIBUTE  OF  GRATITUDE. 


I  am  about  to  cite  names.  It  is  a  difficult  and  a 
dangerous  task.  There  is  always  a  fear  of  wounding 
the  modest  or  hurting  the  susceptible.  Nevertheless  I 
must  venture. 

The  list  will  be  a  long  one,  as  the  favours  were 
many  in  number ;  and  I  may  perchance  sin  in  the  way 
of  omission,  the  offspring  of  a  slothful  memory. 

May  I  obtain  pardon,  both  from  those  who  would 
wish  to  hide  their  kindness  behind  the  veil  of  modesty, 
and  from  those  whom  a  slip  of  remembrance  may 
have  caused  me  to  leave  unnamed. 

Following  the  chronological  order  of  facts,  I  will 
endeavour  to  recall,  with  a  deep  feeling  of  gratitude, 
the  many  services  and  kindnesses  I  have  received. 

To  the  Central  Geographical  Commission  belongs 
the  first  place  in  my  estimation,  for  having  selected  me 
as  its  instrument  in  the  work  of  exploration  which  it 
had  decided  upon  making  in  Africa. 

Proposed  by  H.E.  Counsellor  Andrade  Corvo,  I  was 
unanimously  accepted  by  that  learned  body,  and  the 
suggestions  which  I  presented  for  the  organisation  of 
the  undertaking  were  duly  attended  to.  While  speak- 
ing of  the  Central  Geographical  Commission,  I  cannot 
refrain  from  mentioning  individuals,  for,  though  I 
received  courtesy  from  all,  I  was  especially  assisted  by 
many. 


(  X  ) 


Dr.  Bernardino  Antonio  Gomes,  the  Marquis  de 
Sousa-Hollstein,  Antonio  Augusto  Teixera  de  Yascon- 
cellos,  are  names  which  ought  not  to  escape  a  record  of 
my  gratitude,  though  their  owners  are  now  lying  in 
their  graves. 

Dr.  Julio  Eodriguez,  Luciano  Cordeiro,  Dr.  Bocage, 
Count  de  Ficalho,  Carlos  Testa,  Pereira  da  Silva,  Jorge 
Figaniere  and  Francisco  da  Costa  e  Silva,  were  the 
gentlemen  who,  from  their  position  at  the  Board,  most 
endeavoured  to  honour  me  with  their  favour. 

Another  with  whom  I  only  became  personally 
acquainted  years  afterwards,  who  was  absent  while 
the  expedition  was  being  organised,  lent  his  valuable 
counsel  in  respect  of  the  scientific  portions  of  the 
enterprise.     I  refer  to  Mr.  Brito  Limpo. 

Outside  of  the  Society,  I  obtained  valuable  assistance 
from  my  intimate  friends  Murrecas  Ferreira  and  Joao 
Botto. 

After  the  Central  Commission  comes  the  Geographi- 
cal Society  of  Lisbon,  and  prominently  among  its 
members  are  its  Presidents,  Dr.  Bocage  and  Yiscount 
de  St.  Januario,  and  its  Secretaries  Luciano  Cordeiro 
and  Rodrigo  Pequito. 

The  Portuguese  Journals  follow  in  a  natural  course, 
and  I  cordially  thank  their  editors  for  all  the  favours 
they  have  conferred  upon  me,  and  for  the  manner  in 
which  they  hailed  my  appointment. 

Beyond  my  own  country  most  valuable  aid  was 
afforded  me  by  Mendes  Leal,  Antonio  d'Abbadie  and 
Ferdinand  de  Lesseps  in  Paris ;  and  Yiscount  de 
Duprat  and  Lieutenant  Pinto  da  Fonseca  Yaz  in 
London ;  inasmuch  as  the  co-operation  of  those  gen- 
tlemen, and  that  only,  enabled  Capello  and  myself 
to  carry  out  our  resolve,  to  have  all  the  material  of 
the  expedition  organised  within  a  month. 

Before  quitting  Portugal,  two  other  gentlemen  must 


(    »  ) 


be  remembered,  as  they  bad  much  to  do  with  the  ulti- 
mate success  of  our  enterprise. 

These  are  Counsellor  Jose  de  Mello  e  Gouvea,  who 
was  then  intrusted  with  the  portfolio  of  Ultramar,  and 
Francisco  Costa,  the  Director-General  of  the  Ministry 
of  the  Colonies. 

Pedro  d'Almeida  Tito  and  Avelino  Fernandes 
showed  me  so  much  attention  on  my  journey,  that  I. 
cannot  refrain  from  mentioning  them  here. 

After  them  follow  the  Governor  of  Cape  Verde,  Yasco 
Guedes,  and  the  Governor  of  Angola,  Caetano  d'Albu- 
querque  ;  both  of  whom  displayed  the  utmost  kindness. 

In  Loanda,  Jose  Maria  de  Prado,  Urbano  de  Castro, 
Consul  Newton,  the  Associaqao  Commercial  and,  above 
all,  the  officers  and  commander  of  the  gunboat  Tamega 
earned  a  title  to  my  deepest  gratitude. 

And  now  comes  a  name  which  at  that  time  was 
being  echoed  from  every  part  of  the  globe,  to  the 
remotest  corners  of  which  it  had  penetrated — 

Henry  Moreland  Stanley. 

The  great  explorer,  the  intrepid  traveller,  who  had 
just  terminated  the  most  stupendous  journey  of  modern 
times,  was  my  friend  and  my  counsellor,  from  whom  I 
received  the  most  valuable  lessons.  A  better  master 
could  not  well  be  obtained.  I  will  beg  him  to  accept, 
in  these  brief  lines,  the  sincerest  tribute  of  the  great 
admiration  I  feel  for  him,  and  the  frankest  expression 
of  my  esteem,  and  of  the  gratitude  with  which  he  has 
inspired  me. 

In  Benguella,  Pereira  de  Mello  and  Silva  Porto 
occupy  the  first  place  :  I  need  not  stay  to  speak  of 
them  at  greater  length,  as  their  acts,  narrated  in  these 
volumes,  constitute  their  highest  praise.  Antonio 
Ferreira  Marques,  Lieutenant  Seraphim,  the  chemist 
Monteiro,  and  Vieira  da  Silva,  are  names  which  I 
cannot  pass  unnoticed. 


(    xii  ) 


Santos  Keis,  my  host  of  the  Dombe  Grande,  and 
Lieutenant  Roza  of  Quillengues,  are  two  more  creditors 
to  my  gratitude. 

I  will  now  make  a  prodigious  leap,  and  without 
stopping  at  Dr.  Bradshaw  and  the  Coillard  family, 
transport  myself  to  Bamanguato,  to  Shoshong,  where 
the  favours  of  King  Kama,  and  above  all  those  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Taylor  will  ever  dwell  in  my  memory. 

But  no  light  difficulty  next  presents  itself.  I  am  in 
Pretoria — in  the  first  civilised  portion  of  the  world 
I  fell  in  with  after  leaving  Benguella ;  and  where  the 
favours  heaped  upon  me  were  so  many  that  I  know 
not  how  to  find  words  or  space  to  record  the  names  of 
their  bestowers. 

Mr.  Swart,  the  Government  Treasurer,  was  the  first  to 
honour  me,  and  he  is  of  right  the  first  to  be  recorded. 

After  him  come  Frederick  Jeppe,  Secretary  Osborne, 
Dr.  Rissick,  Mr.  Kisch,  Major  Tylor  and  Captain 
Saunders,  together  with  all  the  officers  of  the  80th 
regiment. 

Baroness  van  Levetzow,  Mrs.  Imink  and  Mrs.  Kisch, 
and  finally  Colonel  Lanyan. 

Sir  Bartle  Frere  immediately  came  to  my  aid,  nor 
was  our  Portuguese  Consul  at  the  Cape,  Snr.  Carvalho, 
far  behind. 

If  I  owe  a  debt  of  gratitude  to  the  English  Governor, 
I  am  no  less  beholden  to  the  Portuguese  Consul,  who, 
by  means  of  immediate  telegrams,  hastened  to  render 
me  the  utmost  assistance. 

Monseigneur  Jolivet,  the  learned  Bishop  of  Natal, 
then  residing  at  Pretoria,  was  not  among  the  last  to 
load  me  with  favours. 

On  my  way  to  Durban,  I  received  the  utmost 
courtesy  from  Mr.  Goodliffe,  and  when  at  Maritzburg 
those  courtesies  were  repeated  by  Colonel  Baker, 
Captain  Whalley,  Mrs.  Saunders,  and  Mr.  Furse. 


(   xiii  ) 


In  Durban,  Mr.  Snell,  the  Portuguese  Consul,  and 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  B.  H.  de  Waal,  the  gentleman  at  the 
head  of  the  Handels  Company  of  Eastern  Africa,  were 
foremost  in  their  kindness  arid  attention. 

The  task  I  have  imposed  upon  myself  becomes  more 
and  more  embarrassing.  I  am  on  my  way  to  Europe 
after  the  completion  of  my  journey,  and  favours  and 
courtesy  meet  me  at  every  stage. 

In  Lourenco  Marquez  I  have  to  mention  Castilho, 
Machado,  Maia,  and  Fonseca.  In  Mozambique, 
Governor  Cunha,  Torrezao,  and  in  fact  every  one. 

In  Zanzibar,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Kirk,  Widmar,  and  above 
all  Captain  Draper  of  the  Danubio,  belonging  to  the 
Union  Steam  Ship  Company,  who  conveyed  me  thither 
from  Durban,  should  not  remain  unnamed. 

In  Cairo,  again,  Widmar  was  most  kind.  In  Alex- 
andria, Count  and  Countess  de  Caprara  especially 
deserved  my  acknowledgments. 

Even  before  I  reached  Lisbon,  I  received  an  im- 
portant service  from  the  Baron  de  Mendonca  at 
Bordeaux. 

In  Lisbon,  the  Government  in  the  first  instance,  and 
friends  old  and  new,  vied  with  each  other  in  showing 
me  attention. 

I  remained  there  some  ten  days,  which  were  all  too 
short  to  acknowledge  the  acts  of  courtesy  shown  me, 
and  which  left  me  not  a  minute  for  thanks. 

Barely  recovered  from  the  fatigues  of  my  voyage, 
it  was  expected  that  I  should  deliver  a  lecture  upon 
my  wanderings,  and  without  the  valuable  assistance 
rendered  me  by  Pequito,  Sarrea  Prado,  Batalha  Reis, 
and  Dr.  Bocage,  it  would  have  been  impossible  for  me 
to  pull  through. 

Not  wishing  or  rather  not  being  able  here  to 
mention  other  names,  so  great  is  their  number,  I  must 
content  myself  with  thanking,  in  the  warmest  terms  of 


(  xiv  ) 


gratitude,  the  Geographical  Society  of  Lisbon,  for  all 
their  attentions  towards  me. 

To  the  Associacao  Commercial,  and  to  its  worthy 
President  Snr.  Chamisso,  who  all  through  displayed  the 
utmost  interest  in  the  exploration  of  which  I  formed 
part,  I  tender  my  heartfelt  acknowledgments. 

I  learned  when  at  Lisbon  a  fact  which  I  cannot 
refrain  from  recording  here,  and  coupling  with  it  a 
name,  that  of  Snr.  Thomaz  Ribeiro.  To  him  I  am 
indebted  for  the  orders  he  gave,  in  his  capacity  of 
Minister  of  Marine,  that  assistance  should  be  sent 
me  from  Mozambique  into  the  interior  of  Africa,  and  I 
herewith  tender  him  my  grateful  thanks. 

I  beg  also  to  express  my  deep  acknowledgments  to 
the  Diplomatic  Corps  resident  in  Lisbon,  and  above 
all  to  M.  Morier,  Baron  de  P.  Hegeurt,  Laboulay,  the 
Marquis  d'Oldoini  and  Ruata. 

My  thanks  are  also  due  to  the  Associacao  Commercial 
of  Oporto,  to  the  voluntary  Fire  Brigade  of  that  city, 
to  the  Sociedade  Euterpe,  and  the  Sociedade  de  ln- 
strucc/io,  as  well  as  to  the  municipalities  and  other 
institutions  of  the  country,  who  did  me  honour. 

To  the  Portuguese  Associations  in  Brazil,  to  my 
fellow-countrymen,  who  were  so  kind  to  me  when  far 
from  home,  to  all  those  who  spared  neither  time  nor 
pains  on.  my  behalf,  I  waft  friendly  greetings  and 
expressions  of  my  gratitude. 

Above  all  are  they  due  to  those  who  formed  a 
Society  bearing  my  name,  and  from  distant  Pernam- 
buco  offered  me  this  delicate  compliment,  which  I  am 
not  likely  ever  to  forget. 

It  is  now  my  pleasing  duty  in  the  order  of  events 
to  offer  my  thanks  to  foreign  Sovereigns  for  the  high 
honours  which  they  conferred  upon  me,  more  especially 
to  His  Majesty  of  Belgium,  the  illustrious  and  learned 
King  Leopold,  the  great  instigator  of  modern  geo- 


(  ) 


graphical  discovery  in  Africa,  who,  apart  from  the 
honour  with  which  he  deigned  to  distinguish  me,  gave 
me  marks  of  the  most  cordial  esteem,  and  expressed  the 
kindest  interest  in  my  welfare. 

The  Geographical  Societies  of  France,  and  chiefly 
those  of  Paris,  in  the  persons  of  Admiral  La  Ronciere 
le  Noury,  Ferdinand  de  Lesseps,  Messrs.  Daubre, 
Maunoir,  d'Abbadie,  de  Quatrefages  and  Duveyrier, 
were  profuse  in  their  favours;  the  Society  at  Mar- 
seilles, conferred  .upon  me  a  lofty  and  cherished  dis- 
tinction, and  its  President,  M.  Babaud,  showed  me  the 
utmost  courtesy  ;  nor  must  I  forget  the  kindness  of  the 
Societe  Commerciale  of  Paris,  or  of  its  worthy  Secretary- 
General,  M.  Gauthiot. 

Referring  to  Paris,  I  cannot  leave  unnoticed  the 
Portuguese  Colony,  nor  among  its  members,  the  names 
of  Mendes  Leal,  Count  de  S.  Miguel,  Camillo  de  Moraes, 
Pereira  Leite,  Garrido  and  Dr.  Aguiar,  whose  friendly 
attentions  will  never  be  effaced  from  my  mind. 

I  also  feel  deeply  indebted  to  the  Belgian  Geo- 
graphical Societies,  and  particularly  to  that  of  Anvers, 
in  the  persons  of  their  Presidents,  General  Liagre  and 
Colonel  Wauverraans;  nor  should  I  fail  to  record,  in  a 
country  where  1  met  with  universal  courtesy,  the  names 
of  Messrs.  du  Fief,  Bamps  and  Colonei  Strauch,  and 
above  all  that  of  Count  de  Thomar,  whose  repeated 
favours  and  cordiality  of  treatment  converted  the 
sincere  esteem  of  our  first  relations  into  what  I  trust 
will  be  a  lasting  friendship. 

In  the  order  of  dates  I  now  come  to  England, 
the  last  upon  my  list,  but  perhaps  the  first  in  point  of 
importance,  owing  to  the  numerous  acts  of  courtesy  and 
recognition  which  I  there  met  with. 

My  gratitude  was  first  awakened  in  the  English 
Colonies  of  South  Africa,  and  it  was  increased  tenfold 
by  my  reception  in  the  mother-country. 


(    xvi  ) 


I  cannot  possibly  name  all  those  to  whom  I  here 
proffer  my  most  grateful  thanks,  but  I  would  specially 
express  my  acknowledgments  to  the  Geographical 
Society  of  London,  to  its  President  the  Earl  of  North- 
brook,  to  its  Secretaries  Clements  R.  Markham  and 
Bates,  and  to  its  members  Sir  Rutherford  Alcock,  Lord 
Arthur  Russell,  and  Yiscount  de  Duprat. 

To  Mr.  Frederick  Youle,  Dr.  Peacock  and  Messrs. 
M.  d'Antas,  Sampaio,  Fonseca  Vaz,  Quillinan,  Duprat 
and  Ribeiro  Saraiva,  I  owe,  besides  the  most  cordial 
attentions,  a  deep  debt  of  gratitude  for  services 
rendered  during  my  serious  illness,  for  which  I  offer 
them  here  a  public  acknowledgment. 

Ere  I  conclude,  I  must  not  omit  to  mention  the 
names  of  Mr.  David  Ward,  the  Mayor  of  Sheffield,  and 
of  my  particular  friend  the  great  and  eminent  explorer, 
Yerney  Lovett  Cameron,  and  with  them  I  must  close 
a  list  which  is  likely  otherwise  to  be  interminable. 

To  the  Scientific  Societies  of  other  countries  and  to 
all  those  who  are  not  otherwise  alluded  to,  but  from 
whom  I  received  distinguished  favours,  I  beg  to 
express  my  warmest  acknowledgments,  not  the  less 
sincere  because  they  are  not  individually  awarded. 

Major  Alexandre  de  Sekpa  Pinto. 


London,  5th  December,  1880. 


(    xvii  ) 


THE  BOOK. 


This  book  has  no  pretensions  to  a  literary  work. 

Written  without  much  attention  to  form,  it  is  a 
faithful  reproduction  of  my  travelling  diary. 

I  have  eliminated  from  it  many  episodes  of  the  chase, 
and  other  matters  which  may,  during  my  intervals  of 
leisure,  constitute  a  volume  of  a  special  character.  I 
have  endeavoured,  above  all  else,  to  put  prominently 
forward  that  which  I  deemed  most  interesting  in  the 
way  of  geographic  and  ethnographic  research  ;  and 
if  I  have  occasion;illy  interwoven  a  few  of  the  many 
dramatic  episodes  which  abounded  in  my  fatiguing 
enterprise,  I  have  done  so  where  they  became  connected 
with  notable  facts  of  sufficient  importance  to  alter  a 
projected  itinerary,  to  determine  my  stay  in,  or  my 
precipitate  march  from,  any  place,  which  would  be 
incomprehensible  without  an  explanation  of  the  causes 
which  led  up  to  such  resolve. 

To  a  European,  and  generally  to  any  man  who  has 
never  travelled  in  the  wilds  of  Africa,  what  explorers 
have  to  endure  in  penetrating  into  that  continent,  what 
difficulties  they  have  at  every  instant  to  overcome,  and 
what  iron  labour  they  have  to  go  through,  will  be  well 
nigh  incomprehensible. 

The  narratives  of  Livingstone,  Cameron,  Stanley, 
Burton,  Grant,  Savorgnan  de  Brazza,  d'Abbadre,  Ed. 
Mohr,  and  many  others,  are  far  from  depicting  all  the 


(    xviii  ) 


sufferings  of  the  African  traveller.  It  is  difficult,  in 
fact,  for  any  one  to  conceive  them  who  lias  not  ex- 
perienced them  in  his  own  person  ;  and  it  is  equally 
difficult  for  the  man  who  has  endured  them  to  describe 
them  properly. 

I  do  not  even  attempt  to  portray  what  I  suffered,  or 
endeavour  to  show  the  amount  of  work  I  had  to  perform. 
Whether  those  who  calmly  examine  the  result  of 
my  labours  will  or  will  not  give  me  the  just  meed 
which  I  consider  rightly  my  due,  is  to-day  a  matter  of 
indifference  to  me,  being,  as  I  am,  convinced  that  I 
can  only  be  properly  judged  by  those  who,  like  myself, 
have  trodden  the  almost  endless  tracts  of  the  Dark 
Continent,  and  have  undergone  the  wretchedness  and 
privations  which  were  too  often  my  lot  in  the  country. 

Just  as  only  that  man  who,  being  a  father,  can 
comprehend  the  bitter  grief  occasioned  by  the  loss 
of  a  beloved  child,  so  only  he  who  has  been  himself  an 
explorer  can  thoroughly  appreciate  the  tribulations 
that  a  brother  explorer  has  to  endure. 

The  facts  narrated  in  this  book  are  the  expression  of 
the  truth ;  a  bitter  truth  indeed  at  times,  but  which  it 
would  be  a  deep  wrong  to  conceal. 

I  have  endeavoured  to  present  therein  the  results  of 
a  ceaseless  labour  of  many  months,  and  I  vouch  for 
what  I  record  about  African  geography,  as  being  the 
sole  authority  to  speak  upon  the  subject  in  what  con- 
cerns my  own  special  journey ;  and  I  shall  continue  to 
vouch  for  the  correctness  of  my  data,  until  some  other 
man  shall  follow  in  my  steps  across  the  African  con- 
tinent, and  convince  me  that  I  am  in  error. 

The  general  opinions  which  I  enunciate  touching 
this  or  that  problem  may  be  erroneous ;  they  are  of 
course  open  to  criticism,  and  may  fall  to  the  ground 
beneath  the  practical  demonstration  of  future  journeys, 
in  the  same  manner  as  have  fallen  the  assertions  of 


(  xix  ) 


many  of  my  most  illustrious  predecessors ;  but  what  I 
hold  to  be  iucontestable  and  impossible  to  be  contested, 
are  the  facts  which  I  saw,  and  the  data  wliich  refer  to 
the  countries  I  passed  through,  and  which  I  describe 
in  this  book  with  the  conscientiousness  that  ought  ever 
to  dictate  the  records  of  the  explorer. 

I  did  not  repair  to  Africa  with  a  view  to  gain 
money.  I  had  but  the  scanty  pay  of  an  officer  in  the 
army,  and  I  sought  no  other. 

I  left  behind  me  a  family  that  I  held  most  dear.  I 
left  my  country  and  all  its  attractions,  for  a  weary 
labour,  and  for  the  sole  purpose  of  labouring,  in  co- 
operation with  other  countries,  in  the  great  task  of 
survey  of  the  unknown  continent ;  and  I  feel  the  con- 
sciousness of  having  done  so  with  all  my  strength. 

I  leave  to  men  of  science,  and  to  those  who  are 
authorities  in  such  matters,  to  appreciate  my  work 
according  to  its  deserts. 

I  say  no  more  upon  a  subject  which  may,  perhaps, 
appear  to  spring  from  a  spirit  of  vanity  to  which  I  am 
a  stranger,  but  circumstances  of  an  unusual  kind,  which 
occurred  during  the  early  months  of  my  residence  in 
Europe,  after  completing  my  weary  African  journey, 
dictated  the  lines  which  I  have  above  written. 

A  year  has  passed  since  I  began  to  reduce  to  shape 
the  results  of  my  African  labours,  but  an  obstinate 
illness,  again  and  again,  stood  in  the  way  of  my  ardent 
desire  to  lay  those  labours  before  the  public. 

Commenced  in  London  in  September  1879,  my  book 
was  almost  entirely  written  in  the  months  of  September 
and  October  1880,  at  the  Figueira  da  Foz  in  Portugal. 

The  haste  with  which  it  was  terminated  will  no 
doubt  have  contributed  greatly  to  its  imperfection  of 
form. 

It  is  published  in  London,  where,  with  the  eminent 
firm  of  Sampson  Low,  Marston,  Searle  and  Eivington, 

b  2 


(    xx  ) 


I  met  with  facilities  which  I  could  scarcely  have  found 
elsewhere. 

Those  gentlemen  did  not  hesitate  to  incur  the 
enormous  expense  naturally  inherent  to  so  difficult  and 
costly  a  publication,  and  they  have  been  good  enough 
to  undertake  to  print  in  England  the  Portuguese  edition  ; 
a  most  onerous  task,  where  the  difference  between  the 
two  languages  necessitated  the  founding  of  new  type, 
owing  to  the  characteristic  marks  of  our  southern 
idiom. 

I  am  deeply  indebted  to  them  for  the  care  and 
attention  they  have  devoted  to  the  work,  to  the  merit 
of  which,  if  it  be  held  to  possess  any,  they  have 
certainly  largely  contributed. 

The  book  was  written  in  Portuguese,  and  its  trans- 
lation was  kindly  undertaken  by  Mr.  Alfred  Elwes,  the 
well-known  English  writer  and  philologist.  I  beg  to 
express  my  warmest  acknowledgments  to  that  gentle- 
man, for  the  way  in  which  he  has  interpreted  my  ideas 
and  faithfully  translated  my  phrases — a  task  of  the 
greater  difficulty,  as  the  richness  and  intricacy  of  the 
Portuguese  language  are  considerable.  On  perusing 
the  English  translation,  I  have  again  and  again  admired 
the  closeness  with  which  my  style  has  been  adhered  to ; 
for  my  phrases  are  laconic,  and  therefore  all  the  more 
stubborn  to  deal  with  in  a  foreign  language.  If  the 
book  have  any  value,  it  has  certainly  lost  nothing  by 
translation  into  English,  and  to  Mr.  Elwes  the  honour 
of  executing  it  so  conscientiously  is  due. 

Before  closing  these  remarks,  I  wish  also  to  thank 
most  sincerely  Counsellor  Antonio  Ribeiro  Saraiva, 
who,  notwithstanding  his  own  duties  and  his  advanced 
age,  was  good  enough  to  do  me  the  special  favour  to 
correct  the  Portuguese  proofs;  Mr.  E.  Weller,  the 
cartographer,  who  undertook  the  engraving  of  my 
maps ;  and  Mr.  Cooper,  who  has  so  admirably  succeeded 


(  xxi  ) 

in  interpreting  my  hasty  sketches,  made  during  the 
journey,  in  the  engravings  which  illustrate  the  work. 

Here  then  is  the  book.  My  sole  desire  is  that  it 
may  interest  and  entertain  the  mass  of  my  readers, 
serve  as  a  study  to  others,  and  give  a  fresh  impulse  to 
the  great  and  sublime  crusade  of  the  nineteenth  century, 
a  crusade  of  civilisation  and  progress  in  the  Dark 
Continent. 


London,  61  Gower  Street, 
bth  December,  1880. 


(    xxii  ) 


THE  TITLE  OF  THE  BOOK. 


On  my  return  to  my  temporary  home  this  evening, 
from  an  after-dinner  stroll,  I  find  upon  my  writing- 
table,  pinned  to  the  blotter,  a  cutting  from  some  news- 
paper, which  contains  the  following  words  : — 

"  The  Athenaeum  says,  4  Major  Serpa  Pinto,  who  has 
recovered  from  his  protracted  illness,  has  come  to 
London  to  bring  out  his  book,  descriptive  of  his 
journey  across  Africa.  It  is  satisfactory  to  find  that 
the  title  is  altered  from  "  The  King's  Rifle,"  to  "  How  I 
crossed  Africa."  "  The  King's  Rifle  "  might  be  a  good 
name  for  a  boy's  book  of  adventures  by  Mayne  Reid  or 
G-ustave  Aimard,  but  it  seems  rather  out  of  place  on 
the  title-page  of  a  serious  book  of  African  travels.'  " 

It  is  near  midnight,  and  I  feel  that  I  want  rest ;  but 
before  turning  in,  I  cannot  refrain  from  writing  a  few 
words  upon  the  above  subject. 

The  critic's  remark  is,  and  yet  it  is  not,  quite  correct. 

African  travels  always  partake,  more  or  less,  of 
romance,  however  much  they  may  take  the  form  of 
a  scientific  work. 

If  my  book,  like  all  which  have  preceded  it,  is  a 
veritable  romance,  it  nevertheless  contains  geographic 
matter  of  some  importance. 

The  project  which  I  formed,  and  which  I  have  here 
carried  out,  was  to  blend  with  a  narrative  of  my  adven- 
tures the  more  serious  labours  referred  to  ;  just  as  such 
things  are  apt  to  be  blended  in  the  wilds  of  Africa. 


(    xxiii  ) 


As  to  the  title  that  my  book  should  bear,  it  was  a 
matter  to  which  I  gave  but  little  heed. 

Inasmuch  as  the  expedition,  and,  as  a  necessary 
consequence,  the  whole  fruits  of  my  labour  were  saved 
by  the  King's  Rifle,  it  occurred  to  me  to  give  that  title 
to  my  entire  work.  I  gave  no  thought  to  the  adverse 
criticism  it  might  meet  with.  And  besides,  my  justifi- 
cation would  be  found  in  a  perusal  of  my  narrative. 

One  consideration,  nevertheless,  occurred  to  modify 
my  original  project. 

One  man  there  was,  the  only  one  in  the  world  who, 
however  incapable  of  taking  public  exception  to  the 
exclusiveness  of  the  title,  might  with  reason  deem  that 
I  had  been  unjust  towards  himself,  in  giving  too  great 
prominence  in  my  book  to  the  fact  that  it  was  the  King's 
Rifle  only  which  had  saved  the  expedition,  when  he 
possessed  an  equal  right  to  my  gratitude,  in  having 
saved  me  in  turn. 

The  original  title,  therefore,  weighed  upon  my 
mind  as  an  injustice,  although  it  had  been  dictated 
solely  by  a  contrary  sentiment,  being  but  little  accus- 
tomed to  burn  incense  on  the  altar  of  the  great,  and 
J  immediately  resolved  to  retain  the  title  for  the  fir^t 
part  of  my  narrative,  and  give  to  the  second  part  the 
name  of  Francois  Coillard,  the  man  who  saved  me,  and, 
in  doing  so,  saved  the  labours  of  the  expedition  which 
I  directed.    It  was  a  simple  act  of  duty  on  my  part. 

But  this  decision  necessitated  a  general  title  lor  the 
work  as  a  whole,  no  difficult  matter  to  supply  when  a 
Continent  has  been  crossed  from  sea  to  sea. 

This  is  why  my  work  is  now  called  How  I  crossed 
Africa." 

I  am  sure  that  the  title  of  a  book  of  this  kind  can  be 
but  of  trifling  moment  to  the  public.  It  is  necessary 
to  call  it  something,  and  I  have  given  it  the  name 
under  which  it  will  appear. 


(    xxiv  ) 


I  shall  be  exceedingly  sorry  if  any  one  objects  to  it, 
but  it  cannot  now  be  helped  ;  it  is  fortunately  not  a 
matter  of  a  nature  to  interfere  with  any  man's  slumber, 
and  I  trust  it  will  not  disturb  or  abridge  mine. 

London,  61  Gower  Street, 

12th  December,  1880,  at  midnight. 


:pROPE(lTy~Of 

EI  IICS  TON 
H£C.  OCT.  otfl 
• KSOLOUIOA  • 


CONTENTS  TO  VOL.  I. 


Part  I.— THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


PROLOGUE. 

PAGE 

I. — BOW  I  BECAME  AN  EXPLORER  1 

II.— Preparations  for  the  Expedition  12 


CHAPTEK  I. 


IN  SEARCH  OF  CARBIERS. 


Arrival  at  Loanda — The  Governor  Albuquerque — No  carriers — I  proceed 
to  Zaire — Ambriz — I  reach  Porto  da  Lenha — Ransomed  slaves — 1 
hear  of  Stanley's  arrival — I  go  to  Kabenda — I  take  Stanley  on  board 
the  Tameija — The  officers  of  the  gunboat — Stanley  my  guest — Our 
itinerary — Arrival  of  Ivens  17 


CHAPTER  II. 


STILL  IN  SEARCH  OF  CARRIERS. 


The  Governor,  Alfredo  Pereira  de  Mello — The  Governor's  house — 
Things  for  which  the  government  of  the  mother  country  is  not 
responsible — A  sketch  of  Benguella — Its  trade — I  am  robbed — 
Another  robbery — The  Katembela — I  obtain  carriers — Arrival  of 
Cupello  and  Ivens — Fresh  alteration  of  route — Another  difficulty — 
Silva  Port>>,  the  old  country  trader — New  obstacles — Capello  goes 
to  the  Dumbo — Departure — The  Dumbo — Fresh  difficulties — Final 
start  31 


xx  vi 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  STORY  OF  A  SHEEP. 

PAGE 

Nine  days  in  the  desert — Want  of  water — The  ex-chef e  of  Quillengues — 
I  lose  myself  in  the  bush— Two  shots  in  time — A  little  nigger  and 
a  negress  missing — Loss  of  a  donkey — Quillengues  at  last — Death  of 
the  sheep  52 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THROUGH  SUBJUGATED  TERRITORY. 

Journey  to  Ngola — The  native  king  Chimbarandongo — Beauty  of  the 
country — Arrival  at  Oaconda — Jose  d'Anchieta — No  correspondence 
— Arrival  of  the  che/'e — We  follow  the  carriers — Ivens.  goes  to  the 
Cunene,  and  I  go  to  the  Cunene — Return  from  Bandiera's  house — 
Carriers  wanting — My  opinion  Go 


CHAPTER  Y. 

TWENTY  DAYS  OF  PROFOUND  ANXIETY. 

I  leave  Oaconda — The  native  chief  Quipembe — Quingolo  and  the  chief 
Caimbn — Forty  carriers — Fevers — The  Huambo— The  native  chief 
Bilombo  and  his  son  Capoco—  Eighty  Carriers — Letters  and  news 
— All  but  lost ! — I  move  onwards — A  knotty  question  in  the  Chaca 
Quimbamba — The  rivers  Calae,  Canhungamua,  and  Cunene — A  fresh 
and  serious  question  in  the  Sam'  o  country — The  Cubango — Rains 
and  storms — Seiious  illness — A  terrible  adventure — The  Bine*  at 
last!  83 


CHAPTER  VI. 

BELMONTE. 

In  the  Bine' — Severe  Illness — Improvement — Eelmonte — I  determine  to 
start  for  the  Upper  Zambesi — Letters  to  the  Government — How  the 
Expedition  was  organised  in  the  Bihe — Difficulties,  and  how  they 
were  overcome — Historical  and  social  notes  on  the  Bihe — My  labours 
— New  difficulties — I  leave  Belmonte — The  road  to  the  Cuanza — 
Slavery    146 


Rapid  Retrospective  Glance 


216 


CONTENTS. 


XXVll 


CHAPTEK  VII. 

AMONG  THE  GANGUELLAS. 

PAGE 

Passage  of  the  Cuanza — The  Quimbandes — The  Sova  Mavanda — The 
rivers  Vaiva  and  Onda — Tree-ferns — Tribulations — Slaves  —  The 
river  Cuito— The  Luchazes — Emigration  of  Quibocos — Cambuta — 
— The  Cuando — Leopards  —  The  Ambuellas  —  The  Sova  Moem- 
Cahenda — Descent  of  the  river  Cubangui — The  Quichobos — Sudden 
changes — I  start  for  the  Cuchibi  22G 


CHAPTEE  VIII. 

THE  KING  OF  THE  AMBUELLA's  DAUGHTERS. 

The  Cuchibi — The  Sova  Cahu-heu-ue — The  Mucassequeres — Opudo  and 
Capeu — Abundance — Kindness  of  the  Aborigines — Peoples  and  Cus- 
toms—A Ford  of  the  Cuchibi — The  river  Chicului— Game — Wild 
Animals — The  river  Chalongo — An  awful  day — The  Sources  of  the 
Ninda — The  Tomb  of  Luiz  Albino — The  Plain  of  the  Nhengo — 
Labour  and  Hunger — The  Zambesi  at  last !  304 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


( VOL.  I.) 


FIG.  PAGE 

1.  — Mundombe  Women,  Vendors  of  Coal.  (From  a  photograph  by  the 

chemist  Monteiro.)   47 

2.  — Mundombe  Women  and  Girls  (From  a  photograph  by  Monteiro.)  49 

3.  — Mundombe  Men  (From  a  photograph  by  Monteiro.)  ....  50 

4.  — Man  and  Woman  of  the  Huambo   96 

5.  — Woman  of  the  Sambo   110 

6.  — My  Encampment  between  the  Sambo  and  the  Bihe    ....  Ill 

7.  — Cassanha  Bridge  over  the  River  Cubango   116 

8.  — The  Seculo  who  gave  me  a  Pig   117 

9.  — Ganguella  Womtn  on  the  Banks  of  the  Cubango   120 

10.  — Ant-hills  on  the  Banks  of  the  River  Cutato  of  the  Ganguellas 

to  face  122 

11.  — Ant-bill  13  feet  high  on  the  Banks  of  the  Rivtr  Cutato  dos 

Ganguellas,  covered  with  Vegetation   122 

12.  — Tomb  of  a  Native  Chief   124 

13.  — Caquingue  Blacksmiths   127 

14.  — 1.  Bellows;  2.  Clay  Muzzle  ;  3.  Anvil;  4.  Hammer      .     .     .  128 

15.  — Articles  manufactured  by  the  Natives  between  the  Coast  and  the 

Bihe   129 

16.  — Belmont  House,  Bihe  to  face  149 

J  7 — View  of  the  Exterior  of  the  Village  of  Belmonte  in  the  Bihe  .     .  150 

18—  Plan  of  the  Village  of  the  Belmonte  in  the  Bibe"   151 

19.  — Woman  of  the  Bihe,  digging   161 

20.  — Biheno  Carrier  on  the  March   162 

21.  — Simple  Palisade  ;   Palisade  bound  together  with  withes  ;  Palisade 

with  forked  uprights   176 

22.  — Plan  of  a  native  Lihata  or  fortified  village  in  the  Bihe.  Trophy 

of  the  chase  found  in  almost  all  fortified  villages     ....  177 

23.  — Post  erected  outside  the  gate  of  the  villages   177 

24.  — Articles  manufactured  by  the  Bihenos   Ib5 

25.  — Quiuda,  or  straw  basket  which  will  hold  water  ;  Large  Sieve  for 

drying  rice  or  maize  flour  ;   Sifting  Sieve  ;  Ladle  for  watering 

the  Capata   187 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS.  XXIX 

FIG.  PAGE 

26.  — A  Bihe  Head-Dress   190 

27.  — Bihe  Women  pounding  Maize   200 

28.  — Ganguella,  Luimba  and  Loena  Women — Method  of  shaping  the 

Incisors   208 

29.  — Ant-Hills,  found  between  the  Coast  and  the  Bihe   222 

30.  — Crossing  the  Cuanza   226 

31.  — Quimbande  Man  and  Woman   227 

32.  — Quimbande  Girls   228 

33.  — The  Bihenos  constructing  Huts  in  the  Encampments.     .     .     .  232 

34.  — Skeleton  of  a  Hut   233 

35.  — Hut  built  in  au  hour   234 

36.  — The  Sova  Mavauda,  masked,  and  Dancing  in  my  Camp     to  face  238 

37.  — Quimbande  Woman  carrying  her  load   238 

38.  — 1.  Pipe;  2.  Knives;  3.  Tomahawks   240 

39.  — Ditassoa— Fish  of  the  River  Onda   245 

40.  — Tree-ferns  on  the  Banks  of  the  Onda                                 .     .  246 

41.  — Cabango  Woman's  Head- Dress  ,    .  247 

42.  — Cabango  Man   248 

43.  — Cabango  Man   249 

44.  — Lake  Liguri   253 

45.  — A  Luchaze  of  the  Banks  of  the  Paver  Cuito   255 

46.  — Tinder-box,  Flint  and  Steel   256 

47.  — A  Luchaze  Woman  on  the  Road   257 

47a.— Atundo,  Plant  and  Fruit   269 

48.  — Village  of  Cambuta,  Luchaze   274 

49.  — Luchaze  Woman  of  Cambuta   275 

50.  — Luchaze  Man  of  Cabuta   276 

51.  — Articles  manufactured  by  the  Luchazes   277 

52.  — Luchaze  Woman  of  Cutangjo   280 

53— Luchaze  Pipe   281 

54.  — Luchaze  Fowl-house   281 

55.  — The  Crivi,  or  Trap  for  small  Game   282 

56.  — Luchaze  of  the  Cutangjo   283 

57.  — Luchaze  Articles   283 

58.  — The  Cuchibi   287 

59.  — Leaf  and  Fruit  of  the  Cuchibi   288 

60.  — The  Mapole,  Tree  and  Leaf   289 

61.  — Mapole,  Fruit  and  arrangement  of  the  Branches   291 

62.  — Moene-Cahenga,  Sova  of  Cangamba;  1.  Fly-flap   293 

63.  — (Chimbenzengue.)    Hatchet  of  the  Ambuellas  of  Cangamba  .     .  294 

64.  — Ambuella  Pipe   295 

65.  — The  Quichobo  to  face  299 

66.  — The  Ouco   305 

67.  — The  Opumbulume   306 

68.  — Hat   308 

69— The  Songue ;  Slot  of  the  Songue   311 

70.— The  Sova  Cahu-heu-ue   318 


XXX  LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

STO.  PAG3 

71.  — Ambuella  "Woman   325 

72.  — Opudo   326 

73.  — Capeu   328 

74.  — Cuchibi  Canoe  and  Paddle   331 

75.  — Drum  used  at  Ambuella  Feasts   332 

76.  — Cau-eu-hue  (Town  on  the  Cuchibi)  to  face  333 

77— The  Sova's  Brother   335 

78.  — Ambuella  Hunter   340 

79.  — Chingnene   341 

b0.— Lincumba   342 

81.  — Chipulo  or  Nhele   342 

82.  — The  Cuchibi  Ford  to  face  343 

83.  — Assegais  of  the  Ambuellas   345 

84.  — Ambuella  Arrow- Heads   346 

85.  — Malnnca   353 

8^. — 1.  Direction  of  horns  seen  from  the  front ;  2.  Slot  of  the  Malanca  .  354 

86a.  The  Buffalo  to  face  360 

87.  — Luina  Shield   3*9 

88.  — The  Chief  Cico'ta   370 

89.  — Ant-hills  of  the  Nhen^o   371 

90.  — 1.  and  2.  Luina  Houses  ;  3.  Granary  ;  4  Luina  Hoe  ....  372 

91.  — Vertical  Section  of  a  Luina  House  in  the  Village  of  Tapa      .     .  374 


MAPS  IN  VOL.  I. 

Map  No.  1. — Tropical  South  Africa  In  pocket 

„     „   2. — Benguella  to  the  Bihe   Frontispiece 

„     „   3. — Cubango  to  Cuanza   „  218 

„     „   4. — Country  of  the  Quimbandes   „  230 

„     „   5. — Disposition  of  the  water  at  Cangala      ....  „  273 

„     „   6. — Cambuta  to  the  River  Cubangui   „  279 

„     „   7. — Marsh  of  the  source  of  the  Cuando   „  285 

„     „  8. — From  Cangamba  to  the  Cuchibi   „  316 


HOW  I  CEOSSED  AFRICA. 


Part  I.— THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


PROLOGUE. 

I—  HOW  I  BECAME  AX  EXPLORER. 

In  the  course  of  the  year  1869  I  formed  part  of  the 
column  which,  in  the  Lower  Zambesi,  sustained  many 
a  sanguinary  conflict  with  the  natives  of  Massangano. 
Senhor  Jose  Maria  Latino  Coelho,  the  then  Minister  of 
Marine,  gave  orders  to  the  Governor  of  Mozambique, 
to  furnish  me,  at  the  close  of  the  war,  with  the  means 
of  mounting  the  Zambesi,  so  that  I  might  make  a 
detailed  survey  of  as  much  of  the  country  as  it  was 
possible  for  me  to  investigate. 

The  orders  were  given,  but  were  never  carried  out ; 
and  after  repeated  applications  and  a  hasty  run  through 
the  Portuguese  possessions  of  Eastern  Africa,  I  re- 
turned to  Europe,  with  a  greater  desire  than  ever  to 
study  the  interior  of  that  continent  of  which  I  had 
obtained  only  a  superficial  glance. 

Private  reasons  of  a  family  nature  stepped  in  to 
defer  and,  even  for  a  time,  to  destroy  my  projects. — 

An  officer  in  the  army,  always  in  garrison  in  small 
provincial  towns,  I  was  accustomed  to  convert  my 

VOL.  I.  B 


2 


TEE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


hours  of  idleness  into  hours  of  labour ;  and  though  it 
appeared  to  me  that  the  possibility  of  visiting  Africa 
was  remote,  the  study  of  African  questions  became  my 
sole  and  exclusive  pastime. 

Nor  did  I  neglect  the  sublime  subject  of  Astronomy, 
so  that  the  abundant  leisure  which  my  barrack  life 
allowed  me  was  equally  divided  between  Africa  and 
a  study  of  the  heavenly  bodies. 

In  1875  I  was  in  the  12th  Chasseurs,  and  had  in  my 
comrade,  Captain  Daniel  Simoes  Soares,  one  of  the  most 
intelligent  men  it  has  ever  been  my  fate  to  know.  We 
had  not  been  acquainted  long  ere  we  became  fast  friends. 

The  wretched  little  room  of  this  illustrious  officer  in 
the  barracks  of  the  Island  of  Madeira  gave  us  mutual 
shelter  during  the  hours  that  the  regulations  compelled 
us  to  reside  there  ;  and  how  often,  when  one  of  us  was 
on  guard,  did  he  not  have  the  other  for  companion ! 
Africa,  and  still  Africa,  was  our  subject  of  conversation. 
It  is  a  pleasure  to  recall  that  time,  those  hours  which 
fled  so  rapidly,  discussing  questions  which  I  was  far  from 
thinking  I  should  be  one  day  called  upon  to  solve. 

Towards  the  close  of  1875  I  drew  up  a  paper  which 
I  submitted  to  the  judgment  of  Simoes  Soares  and  of 
another  of  my  comrades,  Captain  Camacho,  and  which 
owed  its  origin  to  our  interminable  talks  about  Africa. 
In  it  I  laid  down  a  plan  for  a  partial  survey  of  the 
interior  of  our  colonies  in  East  Africa,  which  might  be 
effected  with  the  greatest  economy  to  the  State. 

After  the  question  had  been  discussed  and  rediscussed 
among  us,  the  paper  was  forwarded  to  His  Majesty's 
Government :  but  I  learned  subsequently  that  it  never 
reached  the  hands  of  the  Minister  of  Marine. 

At  that  time  I  was  again  revolving  in  my  mind  a 
return  to  Africa,  notwithstanding  my  ties  as  a  family 
man  and  the  great  personal  interests  which  attached 
me  to  Portugal. 


PROLOGUE. 


3 


About  the  end  of  1876  I  returned  to  Lisbon,  where 
I  learned  that  African  matters  had  assumed  considerable 
importance  in  that  city  owing;  to  the  creation  of  the 
Central  Permanent  Geographical  Commission  and  the 
establishment  of  the  Geographical  Society  of  Lisbon. 

There  was  especially  much  talk  about  a  great  geo- 
graphical expedition  to  the  interior  of  Southern  Africa. 

I  at  once  set  about  seeing  the  Minister  of  the 
Colonies,  Snr.  Joao  d'Andrade  Corvo.  If  it  be  no 
easy  matter  to  explore  Africa,  it  is  scarcely  less  difficult 
to  get  an  interview  with  a  minister,  more  especially  if 
that  minister  be  like  Snr.  Joao  d'Andrade  Corvo.  His 
Excellency  held  two  portfolios,  Marine  and  Foreign 
Affairs,  and  it  may  be  conceived  that  he  had  no  time 
to  bestow  upon  intruders.  I  hunted  him  up  for  eight 
days  in  succession,  and  on  the  very  eve  of  my  departure 
from  Lisbon  I  obtained  an  audience  at  the  Ministry 
for  Foreign  Affairs. 

His  Excellency  received  me  somewhat  stiffly,  observ- 
ing that  he  had  but  little  time  to  dispose  of ;  he  then 
inquired  what  I  wanted  of  him. 

This  question  led  to  the  following  dialogue : — 

"  I  have  heard  it  stated  that  Y.  E.  is  thinking  of 
sending  a  geographical  expedition  into  Africa ;  and 
that  is  the  object  of  my  calling." 

The  minister  immediately  changed  his  tone,  and  very 
courteously  desired  me  to  be  seated. 

"  Have  you  been  in  Africa  ?"  he  asked. 

"  I  have ;  I  know  something  of  the  mode  of  travel- 
ling in  the  country,  and  have  devoted  much  attention 
to  the  study  of  African  questions." 

u  Do  you  feel  inclined  to  make  a  long  journey  into 
South  Central  Africa  ?  " 

I  must  declare  that  I  hesitated  a  moment  before 
replying ;  but  at  length  I  said — 

"  I  am  ready  to  go." 

B  2 


4 


TEE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


"  That  is  well,"  he  observed.  Then  he  continued : 
"  I  have  thoughts  of  sending  out  a  great  expedition 
to  Africa,  well  provided  with  all  necessaries,  and  when 
the  organisation  of  the  staff  is  under  consideration  T 
will  not  forget  your  name." 

"  By-the-by,"  he  said,  when  I  was  on  the  point  of 
leaving,  "  what  terms  do  you  ask  for  such  a  service  ?  M 

"  None,"  I  replied.    And  so  we  parted. 

From  the  Ministry  for  Foreign  Affairs  I  went  to 
No.  3  Calcada  da  Gloria,  to  call  upon  Dr.  Bernardino 
Antonio  Gomes,  Tice-President  of  the  Central  Per- 
manent Geographical  Commission.  We  had  a  long 
conference  together,  and  that  distinguished  scholar,  who 
was  then  entirely  devoted  to  geographical  subjects,  told 
me  that  he  had  already  cast  his  eye  upon  a  distin- 
guished officer  of  our  royal  navy,  Hermenigildo 
Capello,  to  form  a  part  of  the  expedition. 

On  the  following  day  I  started  for  the  north.  The 
journey  and  the  fresh  air  of  the  country  somewhat 
chilled  the  feverish  enthusiasm  which  had  taken 
possession  of  me  in  Lisbon,  and,  after  mature  reflection, 
I  resolved  to  give  up  exploring  Africa. 

My  wife  and  daughter  were  difficult  ties  to  rend 
asunder,  and  whenever  the  idea  of  tearing  myself  from 
the  tender  caresses  of  my  child  crossed  my  mind,  the 
ardour  of  exploration  gradually  died  within  me. 

My  family  on  the  one  hand  and  Africa  on  the  other 
pulled  my  heart-strings  in  opposite  directions,  and  kept 
me  a  long  time  in  a  state  of  perplexity.  I  at  length 
hit  upon  a  scheme  which  I  thought  might  solve  the 
question.  Were  I,  for  instance,  appointed  to  the 
governorship  of  a  district,  I  might  make  a  portion  of 
Africa  my  study  without  separating  myself  from  my 
family.  1  was  then  serving  in  the  4th  Chasseurs,  and 
on  my  journey  to  Algarve  I  spent  a  few  days  in 
Lisbon,    An  exploring  expedition  was  no  longer  talked 


PROLOGUE. 


5 


of,  and  but  one  enthusiast,  Luciano  Cordeiro,  still  held 
to  the  belief  that  it  would  be  brought  about ;  although 
in  the  Geographical  Society,  of  which  I  was  the 
Secretary,  a  loud  cry  had  been  raised  in  its  favour.  Dr. 
Bernardino  Antonio  Gomes,  bowed  down  by  the  weight 
of  years,  had  yielded  to  the  pressure  of  his  incessant 
labours,  and  already  felt  the  first  symptoms  of  that 
disease  which,  a  little  later  on,  deprived  him  of  his 
valuable  life,  and  snatched  from  Portugal,  and  the 
world  at  large,  one  of  the  most  illustrious  Portuguese 
of  the  nineteenth  century. 

I  was  not  at  that  time  acquainted  with  the  ardent 
and  brilliant  youth  for  whom  I  feel  to-day  so  warm  a 
friendship — I  mean  Luciano  Cordeiro. 

All  those  with  whom  I  conversed  of  exploration 
told  me  it  must  be  looked  upon  as  adjourned  sine  die. 
Although  the  state  in  which  I  found  matters  at  Lisbon 
caused  me  poignant  regret,  seeing  that  the  light  which 
had  at  one  moment  burned  to  give  so  harmonious  an 
impulse  to  Portuguese  exploration  in  Africa  appeared 
to  be  flickering — on  the  other  hand,  I  could  not  but 
feel  a  certain  pleasure  at  finding  myself,  by  this  course 
of  events,  freed  from  an  engagement  which  would  have 
separated  me  from  beings  I  held  so  dear. 

The  idea  of  going  out  as  a  governor  and  of  estab- 
lishing myself  in  Africa, — in  that  continent  where  I  so 
ardently  desired  to  labour  and  yet  not  separate  myself 
from  my  family — became  stronger  every  day,  and  I  at 
length  waited  upon  the  minister  to  broach  the  subject. 

This  time  I  was  received  at  once,  and  very  cordially 
too.  I  expressed  my  surprise  at  hearing  no  more  about 
explorations. 

"  And  that  has  brought  you  here  ?  "  was  the  inquiry. 
"  Not  exactly.    I  have  come  to  entreat  of  Y.  E.  the 
governorship  of  Quillimane,  which  is  now  vacant." 
Snr.  Oorvo  smiled.    "  I  have  a  mission  of  far  higher 


6 


THE  KING'S  BIFLR 


moment  to  entrust  to  you,"  he  said ;  "  I  want  you  for 
a  very  different  matter  than  to  govern  an  African 
district ;  so  that  I  cannot  give  you  the  governorship 
of  Quillimane." 

44  Y.  E.,  then,  is  still  thinking  of  an  African  explo- 
ration ?«"  I  replied.  "  Frankly,  T  believed  that  the 
whole  thing  was  at  an  end." 

u  I  give  you  my  word  of  honour,"  said  the  minister, 
44  that  either  I  shall  cease  to  be  Joao  d' Andrade  Corvo, 
or  next  spring  an  expedition,  organised  in  a  way 
hitherto  unknown  in  Europe,  shall  leave  Lisbon  for 
South  Central  Africa." 

44  And  you  count  upon  me  ?  " 

44 1  do  most  certainly — and  you  will  very  shortly 
hear  from  me." 

I  left  the  ministerial  presence  in  a  state  of  bewilder- 
ment. 

On  arriving  at  the  Hotel  Central,  I  sat  down  and 
wrote  the  following  note  : — 

44 1  have  not  the  honour  of  your  acquaintance,  but  I 
wish  to  speak  with  you,  and  beg  that  you  will  favour 
me  with  an  interview." 

This  I  addressed  to  4'  Hermenigildo  Carlos  de  Brito 
Capello — Officer  on  board  the  plated  frigate  Vasco  da 
Gama." 

The  very  next  day  I  received  the  following  reply  : — 
44  You  will  find  me  to-day,  at  3,  at  the  Cafe  Martinho. 
— Capello." 

As  the  clock  struck  three  I  entered  the  Cafe  Martinho, 
to  find  the  place  completely  empty.  No,  not  completely, 
for  at  one  of  the  tables  sat  a  young  man  in  the  uniform 
of  a  first  lieutenant  in  the  navy,  whose  face  was  com- 
pletely unknown  to  me.  This,  however,  I  thought, 
must  be  my  man.  He  was  leisurely  sipping  a  glass  of 
grog,  his  cap  lying  by  his  side. 

He  was  of  medium  stature,  so  far  as  I  could  judge, 


PBOLOGUE. 


7 


he  being  seated ;  had  a  swarthy  complexion,  and  a 
singularly  placid  eye.  The  thinness  of  his  hair,  from 
which  the  colour  had  begun  to  fade,  and  a  small  mous- 
tache already  tinged  with  grey,  gave  him,  at  a  first 
glance,  an  appearance  of  age,  which  was  belied  by  his 
look  and  the  un wrinkled  aspect  of  his  skin. 
"  Snr.  Capello,  I  presume  ?  " 

u  That  is  my  name ;  and  you,  I  suppose,  are  Snr. 
Serpa  Pinto  ?  I  was  expecting  you,  and  feel  pretty 
sure  that  you  wish  to  have  some  talk  about  Africa  ?  " 

44  Exactly  so. '  You  have  then  decided  to  take  part 
in  the  expedition  ?  " 

"  I  have ;  in  fact,  I  have  already  had  some  conver- 
sation on  the  matter  with  Dr.  Bernardino  Antonio 
Gomes." 

44  It  was  he  who  mentioned  to  me  your  name.  What 
engagement  have  you  made  ?  " 

44  None.  To  tell  the  truth,  I  do  not  well  know  what 
the  Government  want ;  I  have  spoken  twice  about 
the  matter  to  Dr.  Gomes,  but  have  not  yet  seen  the 
minister ;  when  I  do  I  wish  to  tell  him  that  if  I  go  to 
Africa  I  should  like  to  have  as  a  companion  my  friend 
and  comrade  Roberto  Ivens.    Do  you  know  him  ?  " 

44 1  do  not.  I  have  spoken  to  the  minister  upon  the 
subject,  and  he  has  told  me  that  he  counts  upon  me 
for  the  expedition." 

44  In  that  case,  as  you  are  under  engagement  to  the 
minister,  I  shall  cry  off." 

44  But  why  so  ?  ...  I  would  rather  do  so  myself." 

44  Apart  from  this,  I  do  not  think  the  matter  will 
ever  be  brought  to  bear." 

44  Nor  do  I  entirely  ;  but  admitting  that  it  is  carried 
out,  why  should  we  not  both  go  ?  We  are  new  ac- 
quaintances, it  is  true  ;  but  more  intimate  relations 
will  follow^  and,  as  I  believe,  may  end  in  close  friend- 
ship." 


8 


TEE  KINO'S  RIFLE. 


"  I  myself  see  no  reason  to  the  contrary.  If  the 
expedition  goes  forward  then,  we  will  start  together, 
and  get  my  friend  Roberto  Ivens  to  join  us." 

"  By  all  means.  But  do  you  seriously  think  the 
Government  will  vote  so  large  a  subsidy  as  will  be 
necessary  for  such  an  undertaking  as  is  contemplated  ?  " 

"I  do  not  know;  I  doubt  it;  and  just  now  the 
expedition  is  far  less  talked  about  than  it  was." 

Our  conversation  lasted  long,  and  when  we  separated 
it  was  with  the  firm  conviction  that  the  venture  would 
never  be  realised. 

I  met  Capello  several  times  during  the  succeeding 
days,  and  when  we  finally  parted  it  was  to  pursue  our 
respective  duties ;  he  to  join  his  ship  the  Vasco  da 
Gam  a,  ordered  to  England,  and  I  to  take  the  command 
in  the  Algarve  of  my  company,  the  4th  Chasseurs. 

With  the  leisure  afforded  me  by  my  garrison  life,  I 
once  more  resumed  my  studies,  and  was  fortunate 
enough  to  find  at  my  new  station  a  good  friend  in  the 
person  of  Marrecas  Ferreira,  a  distinguished  engineer 
officer  who  was  ever  ready  to  assist  me  in  difficult 
mathematical  problems,  of  which  he  was  a  master.  It 
was  through  him  that  I  was  enabled  to  enter  into  a 
regular  correspondence  with  Luciano  Cordeiro,  who 
afterwards  became  one  of  my  firmest  friends. 

It  was  during  this  time  that  I  drew  up  two  small 
papers,  wherein  I  discussed  the  mode  of  organising 
an  exploring  expedition  into  South  Central  Africa, 
and,  thanks  to  Luciano  Cordeiro,  they  found  their  way 
into  the  hands  of  the  Minister  of  Marine. 

Still  months  passed  away,  and  no  more  was  heard  of 
the  promised  expedition. 

I  received  two  letters  from  Capello,  wherein  he 
expressed  his  complete  want  of  faith  in  the  realisation 
of  the  undertaking.  It  is  true  that  in  the  Permanent 
Geographical  Commission  various  projects  of  expeditions 


PROLOGUE. 


9 


were  discussed,  but  they  led  to  no  action,  and  the  matter 
appeared  to  be  dying  out. 

One  morning  I  read  in  the  newspapers  that  the 
minister  Snr.  Joao  d'Andrade  Corvo  had  brought 
before  Parliament  a  Bill  for  a  credit  of  30  contos 
(some  £6600)  for  an  expedition  to  Africa;  but  shortly 
after,  before  the  Bill  had  passed,  the  ministry  was 
defeated,  and  the  Portfolio  of  the  Colonies  fell  to  Snr. 
Jose  de  Mello  Gouvea. 

The  projected  exploration,  however,  again  became  a 
subject  of  public  interest;  but  the  newspapers  men- 
tioned as  explorers  men  who  were  totally  unknown 
to  me,  and  only  occasionally  mentioned  the  name  of 
Capello. 

I  was  then  residing  at  Faro,  and  although  I  had  not 
given  up  my  astronomical  and  African  studies,  which 
I  pursued  with  the  assistance  of  Joao  Botto,  an  eminent 
professor  of  the  school  of  Pilots  of  Faro,  I  had  ceased 
to  cherish  my  former  ideas  of  travel.  My  time  was 
divided  between  home  pleasures  and  my  books  of  study, 
and  I  found  myself  too  happy  in  the  comforts  of  the 
domestic  hearth  to  think  of  exchanging  the  even  tenor 
of  ray  life  for  the  shocks  and  chances  of  a  journey 
through  savage  climes. 

Nevertheless,  in  my  quiet  retreat,  I  followed  with 
interest  the  reports  published  in  the  journals  of  the 
news  from  Lisbon.  I  there  read  that  the  new  minister, 
Jose  de  Mello  Gouvea,  had  again  brought  before 
Parliament  the  Bill  that  had  been  introduced  by  his 
predecessor,  Joao  d'Andrade  Corvo,  and  had  succeeded 
in  obtaining  a  vote  for  the  sum  of  30  contos,  to  be 
expended  in  an  exploring  expedition. 

The  death  of  Bernardino  Antonio  Gomes,  a  victim 
to  the  deep  interest  he  took  in  the  study  of  African 
questions,  at  an  age  when  the  fatigues  of  many  previous 
years  should  have  counselled  him  complete  rest  of 


10 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


mind,  occurred  about  this  time,  and  produced  a  great 
void  in  the  Central  Geographical  Commission  ;  so  great 
indeed  that  although  there  were  many  of  its  members 
who,  deeply  interested  in  the  subject,  raised  their  voice 
in  that  learned  body,  their  discussions  led  to  no 
practical  result. 

In  spite  of  the  parliamentary  vote,  I  could  not  satisfy 
myself  that  there  was  any  possibility  of  seeing  the 
expedition  carried  into  effect  in  1877  ;  and  bearing  in 
mind  what  I  had  read  in  the  public  prints,  I  deemed, 
at  least,  that  I  was  myself  forgotten — a  circumstance 
which,  to  tell  the  truth,  was  rather  agreeable  to  me 
than  otherwise. 

The  Algarve  is  a  delicious  country ;  a  perfectly 
eastern  atmosphere  pervades  the  place,  and  seeing  the 
elegant  tops  of  the  palm-trees  gracefully  bending  over 
the  terraced  houses,  one  felt  inclined  at  times  to  forget 
that  one  was  still  bound  to  the  prosaic  shores  of  Europe. 
My  position  there  was  that  of  military  commandant,  by 
which  will  be  understood  that  my  life  was  not  a 
particularly  hard  one. 

The  intercourse  of  a  select  society,  family  affections,, 
my  books  of  study  and  scientific  instruments,  enabled 
me  to  spend  very  happy  hours — of  that  placid  happi- 
ness which  it  is  not  the  fate  of  many  to  enjoy.  My 
easy-chair,  my  dressing-gown  and  slippers,  were  fast 
becoming  my  very,  ideal  of  felicity. 

April  had  come  to  an  end,  and  with  the  beginning 
of  May  set  in  the  heat,  which  was  very  powerfully  felt 
in  Faro.  I  began  to  form  projects  for  the  summer,  when 
one  day  I  received  a  telegram  requiring  me  to  report 
myself  immediately  to  the  general  in  command  of  the 
division.  On  proceeding  thither  I  found  an  order  to 
repair  without  loss  of  time  to  the  presence  of  the 
Minister  of  the  Colonies. 

Adieu  to  home,  adieu  to  dressing-gowns,  adieu  to 


PROLOGUE. 


11 


slippers !  Adieu  to  the  tranquil  and  placid  life  I  had 
been  spending  amidst  my  dear  ones !  I  must  return  to 
the  busy  world  once  more ! 

Four  days  later  on,  seated  around  a  large  table,  in  a 
great  hall  at  the  Ministry  of  Marine,  were  a  dozen 
grave  personages,  some  with  spectacles  and  some 
without,  some  old  and  others  new,  but  all  well  known 
in  the  scientific  or  literary  world,  or  for  their  public 
services,  who  had  met  together  to  discuss  the  often 
mooted  question  of  Africa.  This  solemn  session  was 
presided  over  by  the  minister  Jose  de  Mello  Gouvea. 

The  secretaries  were,  Dr.  Jose  Julio  Eodrigues  and 
Luciano  Cordeiro,  and  I  remember  that  among  those 
present  were  Count  de  Ficalho,  Marquis  de  Souza, 
Dr.  Bocage,  Carlos  Testa,  Jorge  Figaniere,  Francisco 
Costa,  Counsellor  Silva,  and  Antonio  Teixeira  de 
Yasconcellos. 

At  the  bottom  of  the  table,  and  at  one  of  the  corners, 
ensconced  in  a  large  fauteuil,  was  a  man  with  a  head 
well  covered  with  hair,  and  a  heavy  grey  moustache, 
who,  through  his  tortoise-shell-rimmed  glasses,  kept  his 
eyes  steadily  fixed  upon  me.  It  was  the  late  minister, 
Joao  d'Andrade  Corvo,  whose  look  said  as  plainly  as 
words  could  do,  "  I  told  you  that  this  matter  would 
be  brought  to  bear." 

Capello  sat  next  to  me,  and  after  a  debate  of  some 
two  hours  we  left  the  hall  together,  with  precise 
instructions  for  our  journey.  We  selected  as  third 
associate  Lieutenant  Eoberto  Ivens,  Capello's  friend 
above  alluded  to,  who  was  unknown  to  me,  and  who 
was  at  that  time  at  Loanda,  serving  on  board  one  of 
His  Majesty's  vessels.  It  was  on  the  25th  of  May  that 
the  meeting  was  held,  and  we  undertook  to  start  on 
the  5th  of  July.  It  was  a  risky  thing  to  promise, 
as  we  had  to  fit  out  the  expedition  in  France  and 
England,  and  we  only  had  a  month  to  do  it  in. 


12 


TEE  KING'S  BIFLE. 


We  received  powerful  assistance,  however,  at  the 
hands  of  Francisco  Costa,  Director  General  at  the 
Ministry,  who  used  his  influence  to  sweep  away  all  the 
obstacles  which  the  red-tapeism  of  the  offices  might 
conjure  up,  and  in  fact  matters  were  so  managed  that 
on  the  28th  of  May  Capello  and  myself  were  enabled 
to  leave  for  Paris  and  London,  in  order  to  make  the 
necessary  purchases.  To  this  end,  we  were  armed 
with  a  credit  of  eight  contos,  or  about  £1760 
sterling. 

II. — Preparations  for  the  Expedition. 

On  our  arrival  in  Paris,  we  called  upon  M.  d'Abbadie, 
the  great  Abyssinian  explorer,  and  also  upon  M. 
Ferdinand  de  Lesseps,  from  both  of  whom  we  obtained 
advice  and  received  the  politest  attention. 

Unluckily  we  could  not  find  in  the  market  any  of 
the  instruments,  arms,  or  travelling  appointments  such 
as  we  desired,  so  that  it  became  necessary  to  order  the 
whole  of  them. 

Backed  by  a  special  recommendation  from  M.  d'Ab- 
badie, we  applied  to  various  instrument-makers,  and 
during  some  ten  or  twelve  days  Lorieux,  Baud  in,  and 
Badiguet  were  hard  at  work  for  us.  Walker  under- 
took to  supply  all  the  travelling  requisites  ;  Lepage 
(Faure),  the  arms ;  Tissier,  the  boots  and  shoes ;  and 
Ducet  jeune,  the  body  clothing. 

Our  Paris  orders  being  thus  well  in  hand,  we  started 
for  London,  where  we  purchased  our  chronometers,  of 
the  firm  of  Dent,  and  sundry  instruments  of  Casella ;  a 
good  store  of  sulphate  of  quinine  was  also  laid  in,  and 
many  india-rubber  articles  were  procured  from  Mack- 
intosh, among  others  being  two  boats  and  some  folding 
baths. 

We  sought  in  vain  in  London,  just  as  we  had  sought 


PROLOGUE. 


13 


with  like  ill-success  in  Paris,  for  a  theodolite  possessing 
the  necessary  conditions  for  a  journey  such  as  that  we 
were  about  to  undertake.  Some,  that  were  excellent 
for  terrestrial  observations,  were  wanting  in  those 
requisites  which  astronomical  observations  demanded  ; 
others  again,  that  were  perfectly  satisfactory  in  both 
respects,  were  either  too  heavy  or  too  bulky  for  our 
purpose.  There  was  no  time  to  have  a  special  one 
made  for  us,  so  that  on  our  return  to  Paris  we  were 
glad  to  accept  one  that  bad  been  previously  offered  us 
by  M.  d'Abbadie. 

We  collected  together,  in  Paris,  the  various  articles 
we  had  ordered  and  that  had  been  made  during  our 
short  absence  from  that  city  ;  and  on  the  1st  of  July, 
Capello  and  myself  arrived  at  Lisbon  completely 
prepared  for  our  journey,  and  consequently  ready  to 
fulfil  our  engagement  to  leave  for  Loanda  by  the 
packet  of  the  5th.  Our  preparations  had  been  made 
in  the  space  of  nineteen  days. 

When  I  was  studying  the  means  of  preparing  myself 
for  a  long  journey  in  Africa,  I  procured  various  books 
of  travels,  in  the  vain  hope  of  gleaning  from  their 
pages  the  modes  of  preparation  adopted  by  other 
travellers.  All  the  narratives  were,  however,  singularly 
wanting  in  information  of  this  kind,  and  remembering 
the  degree  of  annoyance  which  the  omission  caused  me, 
I  resolved  that  if  I  should  ever  travel  in  Africa  and 
write  an  account  of  my  adventures,  I  would  supply  the 
deficiency,  and,  whilst  enumerating  the  articles  I  took 
with  me,  I  would  put  on  record  which  among  them 
proved  of  real  service,  and  which  might  be  considered 
as  mere  lumber. 

The  story  of  African  exploration  is  in  its  early 
infancy.  Many  explorers  will  succeed  me  in  Africa, 
as  I  succeeded  others,  and  I  believe  that  I  shall  be 
doing  a  service  to  those  who  venture  after  me  on  to 


14 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


the  inhospitable  continent,  by  furnishing  them  with 
a  list  of  the  things  with  which  I  provided  myself,  and 
they  will  glean  from  the  course  of  my  narrative 
the  advantages  or  inconveniences  I  found  from  their 
employment. 

According  to  the  instructions  I  received  from  the 
Government,  I  was  at  liberty  to  expend  three  years 
upon  my  journey,  and  it  was  upon  this  understanding 
that  I  made  my  preparations. 

Experience  had  taught  me  the  serious  inconvenience 
of  overloading  myself  with  baggage,  and  I  therefore 
v  frankly  declare  that  when  I  surveyed  in  Lisbon  the 
enormous  pile  of  things  purchased  in  Paris  and 
London,  I  was  perfectly  horrified.  There  were  no 
fewer  than  seventeen  trunks !  all  of  the  same  dimen- 
sions, Om.,  3  x  Om.,  3  x  Om.  6. 

One  contained  a  toilet  service  complete,  with  a  large 
mirror,  basin  and  ewer,  soap  and  brush  dishes,  etc. ; 
another  held  a  dinner  and  tea  service  for  three  persons, 
and  a  third  the  necessary  kitchen  utensils. 

Three  other  trunks  of  extra  strength  were  destined 
each  to  contain  the  following :  four  bottles  of  quinine, 
a  small  medicine-chest,  a  sextant,  an  artificial  horizon, 
a  chronometer,  various  tables  of  logarithms,  some 
ephemerides,  an  aneroid,  a  hypsometer,  a  thermometer, 
a  prismatic  compass,  a  plain  compass,  a  book  of  blank 
paper,  pencils,  loose  paper  and  ink  ;  fifty  cartridges  for 
each  firearm,  a  complete  suit  of  clothes,  and  three 
changes  of  linen,  tinder,  flint  and  steel,  and  other  small 
articles  for  personal  use. 

Each  of  these  trunks  had  a  tray  in  the  upper  part 
containing  a  writing-case  and  place  for  paper.  They 
were  considered  as  personal  luggage,  and  belonged 
each  to  one  of  our  party. 

The  remaining  ten  trunks  were  packed  indiscrimi- 
nately with  articles  of  clothing,  instruments,  and  other 


PROLOGUE. 


15 


matters  in  reserve.  The  locks  of  all  of  them  were  the 
same,  and  one  key  opened  the  whole. 

Our  tent  was  of  the  kind  known  as  a  tente  marquise, 
9  ft.  4  in.  wide  by  6  ft.  3  in.  in  height.  The  bedsteads 
were  of  iron,  strong  and  convenient;  the  tables  were 
folding,  the  stools  and  chairs  of  canvas.  All  these 
articles  were  manufactured  by  Walker. 

Each  of  us  was  armed  with  a  magnificent  rifle  of 
sixteen-bore,  the  barrels  of  which — the  work  of 
Leopold  Bernard — had  been  carefully  mounted  by 
Faure  Lepage.  A  fowling  piece  of  the  same  calibre, 
manufactured  by  Devisme,  a  Winchester  eight-shooter, 
a  revolver  and  a  wood-knife,  completed  our  armament. 

I  had  ordered  at  Lisbon,  of  the  Confeitaria 
Ultramarina,  twenty-four  cases,  of  the  same  dimensions 
as  the  trunks,  to  be  packed  (in  tins,  carefully  soldered) 
with  tea,  coffee,  sugar,  dried  vegetables,  and  farinaceous 
substances ;  and  I  must  here  express  my  warmest 
thanks  to  Snr.  Oliveira,  the  proprietor  of  that  estab- 
lishment, for  the  scrupulous  care  he  bestowed  on  the 
selection  of  the  articles  supplied,  and  of  which  we 
made  great  use  at  the  outset  of  our  journey. 

The  instruments  we  carried  with  us  were  the  follow- 
ing :  three  sextants,  one  made  by  Casella  of  London, 
one  by  Secretan,  and  the  third  by  Lorieux,  a  perfect 
beauty  ;  two  Pistor's  circles,  manufactured  by  Lorieux, 
with  two  glass  horizons  and  the  respective  levels ;  one 
Secretan's  mercury  horizon ;  three  astronomical  tele- 
scopes of  great  power,  two  by  Bardou  and  one  by 
Casella ;  three  small  aneroids,  two  of  Secretan's  and 
one  of  Casella's  ;  four  pedometers,  two  of  Secretan's 
and  two  of  Casella's ;  six  algebraic  compasses ;  one 
Bournier's  compass,  furnished  by  Secretan ;  three 
others,  azimuths,  two  from  Berlin  and  one  supplied  by 
Casella ;  two  of  Duchemin's  circular  needles ;  six 
Baudin's    hypsometers,  one  of  Casella's,    three  of 


16 


TEE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


Celsius  of  Berlin,  two  others  of  Baudin's  highly  sensi- 
tive ;  twelve  thermometers,  supplied  by  Baudin,  Celsius, 
and  Casella ;  one  Marioti-Casella's  barometer ;  one 
Casella's  anemometer ;  two  Bardou's  binoculars ; 
one  dipping  needle  ;  and  an  apparatus  of  magnetic 
force,  most  kindly  lent  us  by  Captain  Evans  through 
the  instrumentality  of  M.  d'Abbadie.  And  finally, 
d'Abbadie's  universal  theodolite,  to  which  has  been 
given  the  name  of  Aba,  and  which  its  inventor  so 
generously  placed  at  our  disposal. 

Arms,  instruments,  baggage,  in  a  word,  all  the 
articles  we  took  with  us,  bore  the  following  inscrip- 
tion— Portuguese  Expedition  to  Interior  of  Southern 
Africa— 1877. 

Two  cases  containing  the  needful  for  the  preserva- 
tion of  zoologic  and  botanic  specimens  were  forwarded 
to  us  by  Dr.  Bocage  and  Count  de  Ficalho. 

Tools  of  various  kinds  swelled  this  enormous  mass 
of  impedimenta  with  which  we  were  about  to  leave 
Lisbon  in  order  to  plunge  into  the  unknown  regions 
of  South  Central  Africa. 


IN  SEARCH  OF  CARRIERS. 


17 


CHAPTER  I. 

IN  SEARCH  OF  CARRIERS. 

Arrival  at  Loanda — The*  Governor  Albuquerque — No  carriers — I  proceed  to 
Zaire — Ambriz — I  reach  Porto  da  Lenha — Ransomed  slaves — I  hear  of 
Stanley's  arrival — I  go  to  Kabenda — I  take  Stanley  on  board  the  Tamega 
— The  officers  of  the  gunboat — Stanley  my  guest — Our  itinerary — 
Arrival  of  Ivens. 

On  the  6th  of  August  1877  we  arrived  at  Loanda, 
on  board  the  steamer  Zaire,  under  the  command  of 
Pedro  d' Almeida  Tito,  to  whom  I  am  happy  to  offer 
here  a  tribute  of  gratitude  for  the  favours  he  be- 
stowed upon  me  during  the  voyage. 

From  the  moment  of  quitting  Lisbon,  there  was  one 
tiling  that  constantly  occupied  and  worried  my  mind. 
Our  luggage  was  enormous,  and  had  still  to  be  greatly 
increased  in  the  shape  of  merchandise,  beads,  and  other 
articles  that  were  to  be  our  money  in  the  interior  of 
the  country. 

In  all  works  of  travel  dealing  with  this  part  of  the 
African  continent,  I  had  read  of  the  difficulties  which 
many  explorers  had  met  with  through  the  impossibility 
of  obtaining  a  sufficient  number  of  carriers  for  the 
indispensable  transport  of  their  baggage.  How  was  I 
to  obtain  them  ?  I  learned  at  Cape  Verde  that  a  letter 
addressed  by  myself  and  Capello  to  Ivens  never 
reached  his  hands,  inasmuch  as  I  there  found  by  a 
telegram  that  Ivens  was  still  at  Lisbon,  and  could  not 
possibly  have  attended  to  the  injunctions  we  imposed 
upon  him,  to  make  a  study  of  the  question  and  see 

VOL.  I.  C 


18 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


whether  he  could  get  us  the  necessary  help  at  Loanda. 
An  attempt  also  made  at  Cape  Palmas  turned  out 
fruitless,  and,  notwithstanding  the  assistance  rendered 
us  by  Captain  Tito,  not  a  single  Keruboy  could  we 
obtain  there. 

We  at  length  reached  Loanda,  and  found  hospitality 
under  the  roof  of  Snr.  Jose  Maria  do  Prado,  one  of  the 
chief  landowners  and  capitalists  of  the  Province  of 
Angola,  who  immediately  placed  at  our  disposal  one  of 
the  many  houses  he  possessed  in  the  town,  with  accom- 
modation sufficient  to  shelter  the  enormous  equipage  of 
the  expedition. 

We  received  much  kind  attention  from  Snr.  Prado ; 
and  on  the  evening  of  the  6th  we  were  waited  on  by 
one  of  the  aides-de-camp  of  His  Excellency  Snr. 
Albuquerque,  the  Governor  General,  who  sent  us 
many  cordial  messages. 

The  next  day,  the  7th,  we  called  upon  his  Excellency, 
and  received  a  most  friendly  reception.  The  Governor 
was  good  enough  to  excuse  the  very  undress  attire  in 
which  I  waited  on  hirn,  for  although  the  things  I  wore 
were  capitally  fitted  for  bush-life,  they  could  scarcely 
be  considered  proper  for  a  visit  of  ceremony. 

Snr.  Albuquerque,  after  assuring  us  that  he  would 
render  us  every  assistance  in  the  district  under  his 
government,  concluded  by  pointing  out  the  impossibility 
of  obtaining  for  us  the  means  of  transport. 

I  fancy  that  there  are  few  things  more  disagreeable 
to  a  traveller  anxious  to  commence  a  journey  into 
Africa,  and  with  400  loads  of  luggage  to  take  with 
him,  than  to  be  told  that  carriers  are  not  obtainable. 

I  at  once  determined  to  proceed  to  the  northern  part 
of  the  province,  to  see  whether  I  could  be  more  success- 
ful, and  therefore  begged  Snr.  Albuquerque  to  procure 
me  a  passage  to  the  Zaire.  The  only  war-vessel  that 
could  be  placed  at  my  disposal  was  then  cruising  in 


IN  SEARCH  OF  CARRIERS. 


19 


the  mouth  of  that  river ;  I  resolved  to  join  her,  and  to 
that  end,  on  the  8th  I  started  in  one  of  the  country 
boats,  manned  by  eight  blacks,  supplied  me  by  the 
captain  of  the  port.  I  carried  orders  from  the 
governor  to  the  commandant  of  the  gunboat.  A 
voyage  of  120  miles,  in  a  small  boat,  with  scarce  room 
to  stretch  your  legs,  is  anything  but  pleasant.  To 
make  matters  worse,  from  Loanda  to  Ambriz  I  had 
nothing  to  eat  but  biscuits  and  sardines,  for  having 
resolved  to  start  .directly  my  boat  was  ready,  1  had 
no  time  to  lay  in  any  stores. 

On  the  9th,  at  daybreak,  I  arrived  at  Ambriz,  a 
charming  town,  seated  on  the  level  summit  of  an 
eminence,  with  precipitous  sides,  that  are  washed  by 
the  sea,  some  80  feet  below. 

The  chief  official  was  an  employe  of  the  Treasury,  a 
Snr.  Tavares,  who  showed  me  most  marked  atten- 
tions, as  did  indeed  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  town, 
and  more  especially  Snr.  Cordeiro,  in  whose  house  I 
was  lodged. 

At  Ambriz  I  fell  in  with  Avelino  Fernandes,  whose 
acquaintance  I  had  been  fortunate  enough  to  make  on 
board  the  steamer  Zaire,  and  intimate  relations  sprang 
up  between  us.  He  was  born  on  the  banks  of  the 
Zaire,  and  has  a  perfect  passion  for  that  rich  soil,  whose 
gigantic  trees,  the  offspring  of  a  virgin  forest,  shaded 
his  cradle.  His  age  is  24.  His  swarthy  complexion 
and  crisp  curly  hair*  indicate  that  there  flows  through 
his  veins  some  African  as  well  as  European  blood. 
Wealthy,  possessed  of  a  cultivated  mind,  his  education 
having  been  obtained  in  the  chief  capitals  of  Europe, 
and  endowed  with  superior  intelligence,  he  is  a  true 
type  of  the  courteous  gentleman,  whom  to  know  is 
to  sympathise  with  and  esteem.  The  numerous 
connections  he  possessed  in  Zaire  might,  I  thought, 
assist  me  in  arranging  the  difficult  question  of  transport. 

c  2 


20 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


I  learned  at  Ambriz  that  tlie  gunboat  Tamega 
was  expected  there  in  the  course  of  a  couple  of  days, 
and  I  therefore  resolved  to  wait  for  her.  My  voyage 
from  Loanda  in  the  country-boat  had  not  left  such  a 
pleasing  impression  on  my  mind  or  body  as  to  induce 
me  to  continue  with  her  further  northwards. 

On  the  10th  I  took  a  ramble  about  the  town  and 
suburbs,  and  the  following  is  a  brief  record  of  my 
impressions. 

From  the  plateau  on  which  the  European  population 
have  installed  themselves  you  descend  to  the  sea-shore 
by  a  zigzag  road,  which  was  then  being  reconstructed 
by  convict  labour.  On  the  beach,  between  two  fine 
blocks  of  building,  used  as  warehouses  by  French  and 
Dutch  commercial  firms,  there  exists  a  large  structure, 
partly  in  ruin  through  age,  and  partially  in  course  of 
re-erection,  but  with  its  wrorks  abandoned.  This  is  the 
custom-house — but  a  custom-house  without  merchan- 
dise, where  the  goods  heaped  up  at  the  door,  upon  the 
sand,  pay  an  absurd  tribute  for  warehousage.  N.N.E.  of 
the  town,  many  acres  of  land  are  taken  up  with  a 
marsh,  which  is  at  least  10  feet  deep  when  at  the 
highest,  and  on  the  sides  of  the  slope  which  leads 
from  the  plateau  to  this  marsh  are  scattered  the  huts 
of  the  native  population,  under  the  very  worst  conditions 
from  a  sanitary  point  of  view.  South  of  the  town, 
among  clumps  of  virgin  wood,  is  situated  the  cemetery, 
where  the  bodies  interred  during 'the  day  become  the 
food  of  hyenas  at  night. 

The  landing  wharf  or  pier,  built  of  iron  and  timber, 
is  falling  into  utter  uselessness ;  for,  as  it  has  never  seen 
a  coat  of  paint,  as  there  is  no  fund  to  keep  it  up,  and  it 
is  nobody's  business  to  look  after  it,  the  natural  result 
is  that  the  iron,  in  rusting  through  contact  with  the 
air  and  water,  is  fast  consuming  both  itself  and  the 
woodwork  together. 


IN  SEARCH  OF  CARRIERS. 


21 


The  residence  of  the  chief  official  is  little  better  than 
a  barn,  which  it  is  truly  dangerous  to  dwell  in.  The 
powder-magazine  is  in  no  better  condition,  a  fact  which 
somewhat  surprised  me,  as  it  contains  the  powder  of  the 
trade,  producing  no  less  a  revenue  to  the  State  than 
two  hundred  milreis  per  month. 

It  is  greatly  to  be  hoped  that  during  the  two  years 
which  have  elapsed  since  my  visit  to  Ambriz,  a  little 
more  care  has  been  bestowed  upon  that  pretty  town, 
whose  importance  as  a  great  commercial  centre  is  patent 
to  the  least  observant  eye. 

At  the  distance  of  about  three-fifths  of  a  mile  N.  of 
the  landing-place,  the  river  Loge  debouches  into  the 
Atlantic.  Its  mouth  is  obstructed  by  a  sandbank, 
which  renders  the  river  difficult  of  access,  but,  this 
passed,  it  is  navigable  for  nearly  twenty  miles. 

On  the  11th  I  paid  a  visit  to  the  important  agricul- 
tural establishment  founded  by  the  celebrated  Jacintho, 
known  as  Jacintho  do  Ambriz,  and  now  the  property 
of  his  son  Nicolao.  This  estate  is  one  of  the  most  re- 
markable in  the  province  of  Angola  for  the  development 
of  agriculture. 

Jacintho  do  Ambriz  found  his  way  to  Africa  through 
a  great  calamity.  A  son  of  the  people,  without  the 
slightest  instruction,  not  knowing  even  how  to  read  or 
write,  but  endowed  with  a  clear  understanding,  a  keen 
perception,  and  a  happy  temperament,  he  succeeded  in 
realising  a  large  fortune.  Jacintho  married  in  Ambriz 
a  woman  in  his  own  class  of  life.  She  was  the  Tia 
Leonarda  {Aunt  Leonarda),  better  known  as  Tia  Lina, 
a  native  of  Beira-Alta ;  and  in  1877  I  remember  her 
always  dressed  in  the  costume  of  the  Beirense  peasantry, 
talking  the  corrupt  language  spoken  by  the  people  of 
that  province.  I  remember,  too,  being  regaled  in  her 
house  with  a  Beirense  dinner,  and  for  the  moment  I 
imagined  myself  transported  back  among  our  agri- 


22 


TEE  KINO'S  BIFLE. 


culturists  of  the  north.  Tia  Lina,  from  her  energy  and 
thrift,  had  a  great  share  in  assisting  Jacintho  to  his 
handsome  fortune. 

Jacintho  was  engaged  in  trade,  and  that  trade  in 
Africa  was  divisible  into  two  branches,  viz.  the  pur- 
chasing goods  from  the  whites  and  selling  them  the 
produce  of  the  country,  and  purchasing  such  produce 
from  the  blacks  and  selling  to  them  the  aforesaid  goods. 
It  was  Jacintho's  part  to  treat  with  the  whites,  and  Tia 
Lina's  with  the  blacks. 

Jacintho,  who  was  a  generous-hearted  fellow,  too 
often  fell  a  victim  to  his  own  honesty  and  the  extortions 
of  some  of  the  chiefs — a  fact  which  ofren  drew  from 
Tia  Lina  the  expression,  "  Ah,  Jacintho,  the  whites 
bamboozle  you  ;  but  I  bamboozle  the  blacks  !  " 

The  verb  employed  by  Tia  Lina  was  not  precisely 
bamboozle,  but  it  will  serve  to  express  her  meaning. 

One  day  Jacintho  took  it  into  his  head  to  turn  his 
attention  to  agriculture.  It  was  the  instinct  of  his 
early  youthful  habits  working  upon  him.  He  pur- 
chased land,  and  laid  the  foundations  of  that  vast  estate 
which  is  fully  worthy  of  a  visit ;  to  this,  his  hobby,  he 
devoted  his  labour  and  care  till  the  last  moment  of 
his  life. 

Jacintho  was  known  for  his  strange  misuse  of  wTords, 
and  many  curious  stories  are  told  of  the  droll  mistakes 
he  fell  into  through  the  wrong  employment  of  this  or 
that  expression  with  which  lie  larded  his  discourse, 
evidently  unaware  of  the  real  meaning  of  the  phrases 
he  adopted.  He  had,  however,  a  keen  mother  wit,  and 
the  laughter  evoked  was  not  always  against  him. 
Take  for  example  the  following  anecdote. 

He  had  already  been  settled  for  some  time  on  his 
Loge  estate,  but  on  the  arrival  in  the  harbour  of  a 
Portuguese  vessel  of  war,  he  went  on  board  in  the  old 
style  to  offer  things  for  sale  to  the  officers.    His  genial 


IN  SEARCH  OF  CARRIERS. 


23 


nature  made  lrirn  always  welcome^  and  he  at  once 
became  familiar  with  officers  and  crew.  One  day  the 
commander,  seeing  him  on  deck,  asked  him  for  a 
monkev.  "  How  many  do  you  want  ? "  inquired 
Jacintho.  "You  may  send  a  boat  off  to  my  house  at 
Loge  to-morrow  morning,  and  fetch  as  many  as  you  like." 

He  was  taken  at  his  word,  and  on  the  following  day 
a  boat,  manned  with  half  a  dozen  sailors,  ran  alongside 
Jacintho's  garden-wall.  The  old  fellow  made  the  men 
row  the  boat  a  mile  or  so  higher  up  until  they  reached 
the  slope  of  a  hill  covered  with  gigantic  baobab-trees, 
upon  whose  horizontal  branches  were  swarming  hun- 
dreds of  monkeys.  Turning  to  the  sailors,  Jacintho 
exclaimed,  "  There  they  are — they're  all  mine — catch 
as  many  as  you  like,  and  take  'em  to  the  commandant 
with  my  compliments." 

The  men  looked  askance  at  the  lofty  tops  of  the 
enormous  trees,  whose  trunks  were  too  capacious  for 
two  or  three  of  them  to  encircle,  and  after  sundry  vain 
efforts  to  scale  the  perpendicular  height  of  these 
natural  columns  they  gave  up  the  task,  amid  the 
gibbering  and  chattering,  which  sounded  very  like 
derisive  laughter,  of  the  numerous  monkey  families. 

"  Don't  say  I  didn't  give  'em  to  you — there  they  are 
— you've  only  got  to  catch  'em,"  said  Jacintho,  accom- 
panying each  exclamation  with  a  fresh  burst  of  merri- 
ment, which  seemed  to  awake  an  echo  in  the  loity 
branches  above  them. 

I  visited  his  estate,  and  could  not  but  be  struck  with 
the  fact  that  all  his  machines,  apparatus,  implements, 
etc.,  were  of  Portuguese  manufacture.  Jacintho  would 
admit  of  nothing  that  was  not  Portuguese ;  and  cost 
what  it  might,  he  procured  all  his  articles,  whether 
intended  for  agricultural  or  manufacturing  purposes, 
from  Lisbon. 

The  memory  of  this  obscure  man,  better  known  for 


24 


TEE  KING'S  BIFLE. 


the  absurdities  he  uttered  than  the  many  excellent 
things  he  did,  should  be  respected  by  all  who  are 
interested  in  the  development  of  Africa ;  for  he  was  a 
man  who,  in  modern  times,  has  done  the  very  highest 
service  in  fostering  agriculture  in  this  Portuguese 
colony,  where  he  employed  his  immense  fortune,  and 
where  he  personally  laboured  till  the  last  day  of  his 
useful  life. 

On  the  left  bank  of  the  Loge  is  situated  another 
agricultural  property,  also  of  importance,  belonging  to 
Snr.  Augusto  Garrido.  I  had  not  time  to  pay  it  a  visit, 
as  on  the  day  I  spent  in  that  part  of  the  district  I  could 
not  escape  the  many  kind  attentions  of  Nicolao  and  Tia 
Lina ;  and  though  I  passed  some  hours  there,  they 
were  all  too  few  to  examine  and  admire  what  the  will 
of  one  man  had  been  able  to  create  out  of  the  desert 
and  the  marsh. 

The  day  following  the  one  thus  agreeably  spent  saw 
the  arrival  of  the  Tameya  gunboat.  I  at  once 
went  on  board,  but  found  her  without  stores  and  with  a 
large  number  of  men  on  the  sick-list ;  for  which  reason 
I  arranged  with  the  commandant,  Snr.  Marques  da 
Silva,  to  wait  for  him  at  Ambriz  whilst  he  went  on 
to  Loanda  to  recruit. 

Three  days  later  the  Tamega  came  back,  when  I 
joined  her,  with  Avelino  Fernandes,  and  we  immediately 
proceeded  on  our  voyage  to  the  Zaire. 

I  had  been  suffering  for  some  time  with  acute 
bronchitis,  which  fortunately  improved  directly  I  found 
myself  at  sea. 

We  mounted  the  Zaire  as  far  as  Porto  da  Lenha, 
where  I  disembarked  with  Avelino  Fernandes,  who 
presented  me  to  his  friends  in  that  place.  I  at  once 
began  to  inquire  about  transport.  They  told  me  I 
might  possibly  obtain  carriers  if  the  native  chiefs  chose 
to  assist  me,   but  that  the  best  plan  would  be  to 


IN  SEARCH  OF  CARRIERS. 


25 


ransom  a  number  of  slaves  and  then  engage  them  for 
the  service  I  required.  The  idea  of  purchasing  human 
flesh,  although  it  might  be  with  the  view  of  setting  them 
subsequently  at  liberty,  was  repugnant  to  me.  And 
then,  how  could  I  tell  whether  they  would  stick  to  me 
after  all,  if  once  they  were  free  ? 

I  therefore  determined  to  reject  the  notion,  even  if 
not  a  single  carrier  were  to  be  had  in  the  place. 

I  learned  at  the  house  where  I  was  stopping  that  the 
great  explorer  Stanley  had  arrived  at  Boma  on  the  9th, 
having  descended  the  entire  course  of  the  Zaire.  He 
had  come  by  the  way  of  Kabenda. 

I  returned  on  board  and  arranged  with  the  com- 
mandant to  go  on  to  Kabenda,  to  offer  our  services  to 
the  intrepid  traveller.  We  set  off  at  once,  and  were  no 
sooner  anchored  in  the  roads  than  I  went  on  shore  with 
Avelino  Fernandes  and  some  of  the  officers  of  the 
gunboat. 

I  was  quite  affected  as  I  pressed  the  hand  of  Stanley, 
who,  though  a  man  of  small  stature,  assumed  in  my 
eyes  the  proportions  of  a  giant. 

I  offered  him  my  services  in  the  name  of  the  Portu- 
guese Government,  and  told  him  that  if  he  desired  to 
go  on  to  Loanda,  where  he  could  most  easily  obtain 
transport  for  Europe,  Commandant  Marques  would 
willingly  give  him  and  his  men  a  passage  on  board  the 
gunboat.  In  the  name  of  the  Portuguese  Government 
I  further  placed  at  his  disposal  the  money  he  required. 

Stanley  answered  me  with  a  warm  pressure  of  the 
hand. 

The  officers  of  the  Tamega  confirmed  my  offer  in 
the  name  of  their  commandant. 

Stanley  accepted  it,  and  from  that  moment  the  gun- 
boat remained  at  his  disposal. 

As  may  well  be  conceived,  neither  I  nor  Avelino 
Fernandes  allowed  Stanley  to  go  out  of  our  sight,  and, 


26 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


eager  to  hear  the  particulars  of  his  journey,  we  utilised 
every  moment  in  questioning  him  and  his  men. 

On  the  1 9th,  the  officers  of  the  Tamega  gave  a 
splendid  banquet  to  the  great  explorer,  to  which  Com- 
mandant Marques  invited  Fernandes  and  myself. 

On  the  20th  we  set  off  for  Loanda,  having  on  board 
the  whole  of  Stanley's  followers,  to  the  number  of 
114  persons,  among  whom  were  twelve  women  and  a 
few  children. 

Stanley  was  lodged  at  Loanda  in  my  own  house — 
a  distinction  which  was  very  agreeable  to  me,  as  he 
refused  many  other  invitations,  some  from  persons  who 
could  offer  him  accommodation  far  beyond  my  powers, 
seeing  that  the  only  furniture  my  poor  dwelling 
contained  was  that  supplied  by  my  travelling  resources. 

The  Governor  immediately  sent  a  messenger  to 
compliment  the  illustrious  American,  and  invited  him 
to  a  banquet,  at  which  I  was  present.  On  our  way 
home,  I  asked  Stanley  what  impression  Snr.  Albu- 
querque made  upon  him,  to  which  he  merely  replied, 
"  He  seems  a  very  cold  kind  of  gentleman." 

The  American  Consul,  Mr.  Newton,  gave  us  a  break- 
fast, and  showed  us  much  kind  attention. 

Other  festivals  and  banquets  followed ;  time  was 
flowing  on;  we  had  reached  the  23rd  of  August,  and 
still  not  a  single  carrier  had  been  obtained.  It  was  in 
the  evening  of  the  dinner  given  by  the  Governor  to 
Stanley  that  His  Excellency  repeated  that  it  would 
not  be  possible  for  me  to  obtain  transport  at  Loanda, 
and  in  support  of  his  assertion  referred  to  the  case  of 
Major  Gorjao,  who  had  scarce  obtained  half  the  men  he 
wanted,  when  engaged  on  the  survey  of  the  Cuanza 
railway. 

It  is  now  time  to  speak  of  our  projects,  as  defined  by 
law,  and  the  instructions  of  the  Government. 

Parliament,  as  has  been  stated,  voted  a  sum  of  30 


TN  SEARCH  OF  CARRIERS. 


27 


contos  of  reis  (£6600)  for  the  purpose  of  surveying  the 
hydrographic  relations  between  the  Congo  and  Zambesi 
basins,  and  the  countries  comprised  between  the  Portu- 
guese Colonies,  on  both  coasts  of  South  Central  Africa. 

Subsequent  instructions  laid  more  particular  stress 
on  a  survey  of  the  river  Cuan£0  in  connection  with  the 
Zaire ;  a  study  of  the '  countries  in  which  the  Coanza, 
Cunene,  and  Cobango  take  their  rise,  as  far  as  the  upper 
Zambesi  ;  and,  if  possible,  a  careful  survey  of  the  course 
of  the  Cunene. 

The  plan  as  set  forth  in  the  Act  of  Parliament, 
which  had  been  drawn  up  by  Snr.  Corvo,  would 
appear  at  first  sight  far  too  vast  a  scheme  for  a  single 
expedition  and  a  vote  of  30  contos  of  reis ;  but  the  Act 
nevertheless  was  carefully  worded.  Snr.  Corvo  was 
aware  that  not  only  is  a  traveller  in  Africa  not  always 
master  of  his  actions,  but  is  likely  to  meet  upon  his 
road  with  some  unforeseen  problem,  1  lie  solution  of 
which  he  may  deem  of  far  greater  importance  than  the 
one  he  was  sent  over  to  study;  and  on  that  account 
great  latitude  was  allowed  the  explorers. 

As  regards  the  instructions,  they  were  more  restricted, 
but  even  they  by  no  means  trammelled  the  movements 
of  the  expedition. 

As  to  the  point  of  entry,  seeing  that  it  depended 
essentially  upon  the  most  convenient  spot  for  obtaining 
transport,  it  was  left  to  our  discretion. 

Capello  and  myself  had  thought  of  making  our  entry 
at  Loanda,  travelling  eastward  until  we  reached  the 
Cuango ;  descending  that  river  for  two  degrees,  enter- 
ing the  Cassbi,  by  which  we  intended  to  descend  to  the 
Zaire;  and  finally,  investigating  the  Zaire  to  its  mouth. 

The  arrival  of  Stanley,  who  had  performed  a  part  of 
the  labour  we  had  tracked  out  for  ourselves,  and  above 
all  the  impossibility  of  obtaining  carriers  at  Loanda, 
made  us  completely  alter  our  plans. 


28 


TEE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


We  decided  now  that  I  should  go  southwards  to 
procure  some  men  in  Benguella ;  and  that,  if  I  could 
obtain  them  there,  we  would  enter  by  the  mouth  of 
the  River  Cunene,  go  up  it  to  its  source,  and  thence 
proceed  in  a  south-east  direction,  as  far  as  the  Zambesi. 

As  no  great  confidence  could  be  reposed  in  the  men 
we  hired,  we  thought  it  well  to  solicit  the  Governor  for 
a  certain  number  of  soldiers,  to  act  as  a  kind  of  escort. 
His  Excellency  acceded  to  the  request,  and  passed  the 
word  among  the  regiments  to  learn  whether  any  of 
the  soldiers  felt  inclined  to  volunteer;  for  as  the 
service  was  not  a  regular  one,  he  could  not  compel  any 
of  the  men  to  go. 

It  was  therefore  decided  that  I  should  start  for 
Benguella  by  the  steamer  which  would  arrive  from 
Lisbon  about  the  beginning  of  September. 

On  board  that  steamer  I  met  with  our  companion 
Ivens  for  the  first  time.  Of  a  genial  and  ardent 
nature,  possessing  a  great  flow  of  words,  and  perfectly 
enthusiastic  on  the  subject  of  difficult  journeys,  we  soon 
became  friends.  We  communicated  to  him  all  we  had 
determined  to  do,  and  the  difficulties  we  had  hitherto 
met  with.  Ivens  agreed  with  us  as  to  the  course  to  be 
adopted,  and  my  departure  for  Benguella  was  definitely 
fixed  for  the  6th  of  the  month. 

I  lost  no  time  in  getting  ready  for  the  voyage,  and 
waited  upon  the  Governor  to  apprise  him  of  the  circum- 
stance. During  my  absence,  my  companions  were  to 
arrange  and  prepare  the  baggage,  which,  owing  to  our 
hasty  flight  from  Europe,  was  in  a  state  of  considerable 
disorder. 

I  wish  here  to  put  on  record  an  episode  which 
annoyed  me  not  a  little,  inasmuch  as  it  might  perhaps 
have  led  Stanley  to  form  an  estimate  of  my  character 
and  that  of  my  companions  far  different  to  the  true  one. 

On  the  5th  of  the  month,  at  breakfast,  we  were  all 


IN  SEARCH  OF  CARRIERS. 


29 


of  us— Capello,  Ivens,  Stanley,  and  Avelino  Fernandes 
— talking  about  slavery,  and  we  were  explaining  to 
our  guest  the  spirit  of  the  Portuguese  laws  upon  that 
infamous  traffic,  seeking  to  impress  upon  him  the 
falsity  of  the  assertions  of  foreigners  in  respect  of  our 
country,  and  the  impossibility  of  any  slaves  being  held 
where  the  government  had  any  authority.  In  the 
midst  of  the  conversation  Capello  had  to  go  off  to  the 
Palace  for  an  interview  with  the  governor. 

An  hour  later  he  returned,  and  very  shortly  after- 
wards Stanley  received  an  official  letter  from  Snr. 
Albuquerque  begging  him  to  give  a  certificate  to  the 
effect  that  "  No  slavery  was  permitted  within  the  terri- 
tory under  his  charge."  Stanley,  in  a  state  of  aston- 
ishment, showed  me  the  letter,  and  most  certainly  both 
myself  and  companions  were  as  surprised  as  he.  To 
say  the  least  of  it,  the  thing  looked  very  queer  ;  and 
our  conversation  at  breakfast,  followed  up  by  the  letter 
so  soon  after  the  visit  of  one  of  us  to  the  palace,  might 
appear  to  the  illustrious  traveller  something  outside 
the  pale  of  accident. 

Stanley  could  undoubtedly  certify  to  His  Excellency 
that  neither  on  board  the  Tamega  nor  in  any  house, 
neither  at  His  Excellency's  residence  nor  in  that  of 
Consul  Newton,  had  he  seen  any  evidence  of  slavery. 
But  beyond  this,  as  the  Governor  must  have  well 
known,  Stanley  could  have  no  information  apart  from 
what  he  had  obtained  from  us,  and  with  the  exception 
of  the  town  in  which  he  was  temporarily  dwelling 
he  had  visited  no  portion  of  the  territory  governed 
by  Snr.  Albuquerque.  To  get  from  Stanley  snch  a 
document  was  to  make  him  pay  pretty  dearly  for  a 
dinner  and  other  favours  bestowed  upon  him.  I 
believe  that  Stanley  did  us  the  justice  to  think  we 
had  no  hand  whatsoever  in  the  conception  or  produc- 
tion of  the  letter. 


30 


TEE  KING'S  BIFLE. 


On  the  6th  I  left  for  Benguella,  taking  with  me 
letters  from  Snr.  Jose  Maria  do  Prado  to  various 
private  individuals,  but  without  any  recommendation  to 
the  governor  of  the  district,  with  whom  I  was  not 
acquainted. 

I  was  once  more  about  to  search  for  carriers  whom 
I,  a  Portuguese,  had  been  unable  to  obtain  in  Loanda, 
and  that  four  months  later,  a  foreigner,  the  explorer 
Schutt,  procured  without  difficulty,  when  pursuing  the 
first  route  we  had  intended  to  follow. 

On  my  voyage  I  made  the  acquaintance  of  a  pas- 
senger who  told  me  that  I  might  possibly  get  a  few 
carriers  at  Novo  Redondo,  and  that  he  would  under- 
take to  contract  there  for  some  twenty  or  thirty  of 
them. 

This  put  me  in  rather  better  spirits,  and  it  was  in 
such  humour  that  I  arrived  at  Benguella  on  the  evening 
of  the  7th.  Although  I  had  letters  of  recommendation 
for  various  merchants,  I  determined  to  call  upon  the 
governor,  and  ask  his  hospitality,  with  what  result  the 
next  chapter  will  show. 


STILL  IN  SEARCH  OF  CARRIERS. 


31 


CHAPTER  II. 

STILL  IN  SEARCH  OF  CARRIERS. 

The  Governor,  Alfredo  Pereira  de  Mello — The  Governor's  house — Things  for 
which  the  government  of  the  mother  country  is  not  responsible — A  sketch 
of  Benguella — Its  trade — I  am  robbed — Another  robbery — TheKatambela 
— I  obtain  carriers — Arrival  of  Capello  and  Ivens — Fresh  alteration  of 
route — Another  difficulty — Silva  Porto,  the  old  country  trader — New 
obstacles — Capello  goes  to  the  Dumbo — Departure — The  Dumbo — Fresh 
difficulties — Final  start. 

Alfredo  Pereira  de  Mello,*  Governor  of  Benguella, 
on  hearing  my  request  for  hospitality,  exhibited  an 
amount  of  embarrassment  which  was  only  too  per- 
ceptible, and  after  a  pause  said  that  he  had  no  accom- 
modation to  offer  me.  His  answer  surprised  me,  as  I 
knew  him  to  be  naturally  courteous  and  open-handed. 
I  had  received  invitations,  from  the  very  moment  of 
my  arrival,  both  from  Antonio  Ferreira  Marques  and 
Cauchoix,  but  I  had  made  up  my  mind  to  take  up  my 
quarters  in  the  Governor's  house. 

He  then  said  that  he  had  not  a  bed  to  offer  me,  at 
which  I  pointed  to  my  travelling  bed,  for  I  had  had 
my  luggage  brought  up  with  me.  Defeated  in  this 
quarter,  he  asserted  that  he  had  not  a  room  ;  to  which 
I  responded  by  saying  that  a  corner  of  the  hall  in 
which  we  stood  would  serve  my  turn. 

Finding  his  objections  thus  overruled,  he  gave  in, 

*  Alfredo  Pereira  de  Mello,  a  captain  in  the  army  and  Governor  of 
Benguella,  was  the  same  Lieutenant  Mello  referred  to  by  Cameron  in  his  work 
'Across  Africa,'  and  who  was  then  aide-de-camp  to  the  Governor  of  the 
Province,  Snr.  Andrade. — Note  of  the  Author. 


32 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


and  I  stopped.  I  was  curious  to  learn  the  cause  of  the 
Governor  thus  denying  me  hospitality,  and  a  little 
investigation  unravelled  the  mystery. 

Alfredo  Pereira  de  Mello  was  a  new  man,  although 
he  had  attained  to  some  rank  in  the  navy.  Congenial 
and  intelligent,  he  was  esteemed  by  all  who  knew  him 
intimately,  because  to  a  finished  education  he  joined  a 
singular  rectitude  of  character,  and  that  energy  which 
is  peculiar  to  every  good  sailor.  He  had  served  in  the 
English  navy,  and  was  an  experienced  navigator. 

He  had  visited  both  the  Americas,  and  before  going 
to  Africa  in  the  capacity  of  aide-de-camp  to  the 
Governor  Andrade,  he  had  made  voyages  to  India, 
China,  and  Japan. 

His  Excellency,  who  knew  me  very  well  by  name, 
on  hearing  my  request,  forgot  that  he  had  the  explorer 
before  him,  and  only  thought  of  the  man,  habituated  to 
a  life  of  comfort  and  even  luxury.  The  truth  therefore 
was,  that  Pereira  de  Mello  was  ashamed  to  offer  me 
shelter. 

A  Governor  of  Benguella,  however  upright  and 
honourable  he  may  be,  is  bound  to  live  in  the  very 
humblest  fashion,  if  dependent  on  the  pay  that  he 
receives. 

The  Government  house  is  a  hired  one.  Its  furni- 
ture, many  degrees  below  the  designation  of  simple, 
is  barely  sufficient  to  garnish  a  sitting-room  and  one 
bed-chamber. 

In  the  former,  in  striking  contrast  to  the  furniture, 
and  in  a  richly  gilded  frame,  was  a  portrait  of  the 
King,  the  best  I  have  ever  seen. 

Foreign  vessels  of  war  frequently  put  into  the 
harbour.  The  officers,  on  coming  ashore,  naturally 
called  upon  the  Governor,  and  invited  him  on  board, 
where  they  regaled  him  in  right  royal  fashion,  but  not 
a  glass  of  water  did  they  get  in  return  ;  and  why  ? 


STILL  IN  SEARCH  OF  CARRIERS. 


33 


because  the  negress  who  constituted  the  chief  part  of 
the  domestic  establishment  of  his  Excellency  would  have 
had  to  present  it  on  a  cracked  old  plate.  The  so-called 
dinner-service  was,  I  verily  believe,  like  another  sword 
of  Damocles  suspended  over  the  head  of  Pereira  de 
Mello,  when  I  appeared  before  him  and  obstinately 
determined  to  remain  his  guest.  And  yet  he  was  quite 
wrong.  The  neatness  and  cleanliness  which  presided 
at  his  board  made  you  quite  forget  that  the  glasses 
were  cracked  and  the  plates  chipped  and  otherwise 
disfigured  by  time,  and  the  simple  but  admirably  cooked 
food  was  so  appetising  after  exposure  to  the  air  of 
Africa  that — though  I  have  no  wish  to  offend  the  cook 
at  the  Hotel  Central  in  Lisbon — I  must  aver  that  I 
have  dined  better  in  the  Governor's  house  at  Benguella 
than  ever  I  did  off  his  savoury  viands ;  and  yet  I  will 
lay  any  odds  that  the  negress  Conceicao,  who  performed 
such  wonders  of  cookery,  never  even  heard  the  name  of' 
that  hero  of  pots  and  pans,  the  celebrated  Brillat- 
Savarin. 

The  very  first  day  of  my  forcible  entry  on  his 
privacy,  Pereira  de  Mello  opened  to  me  his  heart  and 
entered  into  many  details  of  his  inner  life.  Three  official 
notes  addressed  to  the  government  of  the  province, 
wherein  he  begged  for  authority  to  make  certain  reforms 
in  his  household,  had  remained,  he  said,  unanswered. 

How  little  novelty  is  there  in  human  affairs !  On 
turning  over  the  leaves  of  a  copy  letter-book,  existing 
in  the  archives  of  the  government  of  Benguella,  I 
happened  to  fall  upon  certain  official  notes  dated  as  far 
back  as  1790,  wherein  the  then  governor  made  an 
appeal  to  the  king  in  almost  identical  terms ;  averring 
that  he  had  complained  in  vain  to  the  governor-general 
of  the  province  about  the  state  of  the  carriages  of  two 
brass  guns,  which  urgently  required  looking  to  ; — 
application  and  appeal  having  been  both,  alas  !  equally 

VOL.  1.  D 


34 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


fruitless,  as  the  pieces  are  carriageless  at  the  present 
day! 

These  are  the  very  pieces  of  ordnance  alluded  to  by 
Cameron.  He  will  be  pleased,  however,  to  know  that 
the  carnages  have  been  ordered,  and  cannot  be  much 
longer  delayed ;  for  as  the  order  appears  to  have  been 
given  at  some  time  in  the  said  year,  1790,  they  must 
surely  be  nearly  ready  now. 

Benguella  is  a  picturesque  town  which  extends  from 
the  shore  of  the  Atlantic  to  the  very  summit  of  the 
mountains  which  form  the  first  steps  of  the  lofty 
plateau  of  tropical  Africa.  It  is  surrounded  by  a 
dense  forest,  the  Matta  do  Cavaco,  even  at  the  present 
day  peopled  with  wild  beasts ;  a  fact,  however,  which 
should  cause  no  particular  astonishment,  inasmuch  as 
the  Portuguese  generally  are  not  greatly  given  to 
sport.  The  residences  of  the  Europeans  cover  a  large 
area,  for  all  the  houses  have  vast  gardens  and  depen- 
dencies. These  gardens  are  well  looked  after ;  they 
produce  all  the  known  European  vegetables,  and  a 
good  many  tropical  plants  besides. 

Extensive  patios,  or  courts,  surrounded  by  over- 
hanging galleries,  serve  as  shelter  to  the  large  caravans 
which  descend  from  the  interior  to  the  coast  for  the 
purposes  of  traffic,  and  remain  three  days  under  cover 
in  order  to  effect  the  barter. 

A  river,  which,  in  the  summer  season,  looks  scarcely 
more  than  a  broad  ribbon  of  white  sand  running  from 
the  mountains  to  the  sea  through  the  forest  do  Cavaco, 
constitutes  nevertheless  the  great  source  or  spring  of 
Benguella,  whose  wells,  that  have  been  dug  there, 
produce  excellent  water  purified  in  its  passage  through 
calcareous  sand. 

The  broad  and  straight  streets  of  the  town  are 
planted  with  two  rows  of  trees,  for  the  most  part 
sycamores,  but  of  no  great  age,  and  as  yet  therefore 


STILL  IN  SEARCH  OF  CARRIERS. 


35 


somewhat  small.  The  squares  or  places  are  of  vast 
size,  and  in  a  public  garden  are  flourishing  many  fine 
plants  that  are  very  agreeable  to  the  eye. 

The  houses,  which  have  no  upper  story,  are  built  of 
unbaked  bricks,  and  the  flooring  is  composed  either  of 
tiles  or  wood. 

The  custom-house  is  a  good  building,  recently 
erected,  and  has  spacious  warehouses  for  the  storing 
of  goods.  This  establishment  and  the  public  garden 
before  alluded  to,  as  well  as  other  improvements  in 
Benguella,  were  the  work  of  a  former  governor,  Leite 
Mendes.  To  him  also  is  due,  I  believe,  the  foundation 
of  a  magnificent  pier  with  iron  architraves,  subse- 
quently carried  to  completion  by  Governor  Teixeira 
da  Silva.  It  is  furnished  with  two  cranes  and  trams, 
by  which  goods  are  conveyed  from  the  vessels  into  the 
custom-house.  I  am  grammatically  wrong,  however,  in 
using  the  present  tense  in  respect  of  such  conveyance ; 
I  should  rather  employ  the  conditional,  and  say  they 
would  be  conveyed,  if  there  were  any  men  to  do  the 
work  ;  but  as  these  are  wanting,  they  are  not  con- 
veyed at  all. 

The  town  furtner  boasts  of  a  decent  church  and  a 
cemetery,  well  placed  and  walled  in. 

The  European  population  is  surrounded  on  all  sides 
by  senzalas,  or  the  huts  of  the  negroes,  which  in  fact 
are  occasionally  discoverable  in  deserted  grounds  in 
the  very  midst  of  the  dwellings  of  the  whites.  Take  it 
for  all  in  all,  the  general  aspect  of  the  place  is  agree- 
able and  picturesque. 

Benguella  has  a  somewhat  doubtful  reputation 
among  the  Portuguese  possessions  in  Africa.  Many 
suppose  the  country  to  be  infected ;  that  it  exhales 
pestiferous  miasma  too  often  causing  death  from 
plague.  But  this  is  really  not  the  case.  True,  I  was 
not  acquainted  with  the  Benguella  of  the  past,  but  I 

d  2 


36 


TEE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


can  aver  that  at  the  present  day  it  is  neither  better 
nor  worse  than  many  other  places  in  Africa. 

Cleanliness  and  plantations  of  trees  must  certainly 
have  considerably  modified  its  former  hygienic  condi- 
tions, and  a  small  amount  of  goodwill  would  make  it, 
sanitarily,  far  better  than  it  is.  This  cannot  fail  to  be 
done  as  time  goes  on,  inasmuch  as  it  is  not  likely  that 
a  place  of  so  much  importance,  from  a  commercial 
point  of  view,  and  which  is  in  such  close  contact  with 
the  rich  lands  in  the  interior,  can  remain  neglected. 

The  chief  products  which  make  up  the  trade  of 
Benguella  are  wax,  ivory,  india-rubber,  and  orchilla 
weed,  which  are  conveyed  to  the  town  by  the  caravans 
from  the  interior.  These  caravans  are  of  two  kinds. 
Some,  under  the  guidance  of  agents  of  the  trading 
houses,  carry  back  to  the  firms  which  despatch  them 
the  products  of  their  trade  with  the  interior  ;  others, 
composed  exclusively  of  natives,  come  over  to  trade  on 
their  own  account,  as  being  more  profitable  to  them- 
selves. 

The  trade  with  the  natives  is  effected  by  direct 
exchange  of  their  produce  for  cotton  stuffs,  white, 
striped,  or  printed.  Other  European  products  form  the 
object  of  a  second  exchange  for  the  stuffs  already 
received ;  and  thus,  after  the  first  barter  of  the  ivory 
or  wax  for  cotton,  the  latter  is  given  for  arms,  powder, 
rum,  beads,  &c,  at  the  will  of  the  buyer,  because  cotton 
stuffs  are,  so  to  speak,  the  current  money  of  this  traffic. 

The  trade  is  in  the  hands  of  Europeans  and  Creoles, 
and  we  fell  in  there,  fortunately,  with  a  good  many  of 
those  adventurous  young  spirits  who  leave  their  homes 
and  country  to  seek  for  fortune  in  these  distant  climes. 

A  few  convicts  of  minor  importance  also  do  some 
trade,  either  on  their  own  account  or  as  the  employes 
of  foreign  houses. 

The  greatest  of  the  criminals  of  the  mother  coun- 


STILL  IN  SEARCH  OF  CARRIERS. 


37 


try — those  for  instance  who  are  transported  for  life — 
are  sent  to  Benguella,  and  as  a  natural  consequence  a 
good  number  of  rascals  are  to  be  met  with  there,  to 
whom  it  is  well  to  give  a  wide  berth ;  taking  care  not 
to  confound  them  with  the  many  really  honest  and 
worthy  folks  who  occupy  the  place. 

The  police  duties  are  entrusted  to  a  military  force 
told  off  for  Benguella  from  one  of  the  regiments,  and 
from  Benguella  itself  various  forces  are  scattered 
among  the  communes  of  the  interior,  thus  weakening 
the  garrison  of  the  town,  which  is  small  enough,  in  all 
conscience,  already. 

We  possess  two  armies,  one  in  the  mother  country, 
the  other  in  the  colonies,  which  have  no  connection 
between  them. 

Our  home  army  is  good,  because  the  Portuguese  are 
good  soldiers;  our  colonial  army  is  bad,  because  the 
blacks,  of  which  it  is  composed,  are  bad  soldiers,  and 
the  few  whites  that  are  mixed  up  with  them  are  even 
worse  than  the  negroes.  Transported  for  offences 
which  exclude  them  from  society  and  cause  them  to 
forfeit  in  Europe  the  rights  of  citizenship,  they  follow 
in  Africa  the  noble  calling  of  a  soldier,  by  which  it 
happens  that  our  African  autonomy  and  the  public 
and  private  safety  are  entrusted  to  the  defence  of  men 
who  can  give  as  sole  guarantee  a  past  career  of  crime 
or  misdemeanour. 

Hence  the  constant  scenes  of  a  shameful  character 
that  are  there  enacted.  During  my  stay  in  Benguella 
an  impudent  burglary  was  committed  in  the  military 
department,  and  a  large  sum  of  money  was  carried  off. 
The  Governor  displayed  extraordinary  energy  in  his 
endeavours  to  discover  the  thieves,  and  received  great 
assistance  at  the  hands  of  his  secretary,  Captain  Barata  ; 
and  in  the  end  their  efforts  were  successful,  both  in 
catching  the  rascals  and  recovering  the  money.    It  will 


38 


2  HE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


scarcely  be  credited  that  the  robbery  was  planned  by 
the  very  sergeant  of  the  detachment,  and  was  carried 
out  by  him  with  the  aid  of  some  of  the  soldiers  ! 

If  our  army  at  home  can  escape  the  censure  of 
fastidious  military  critics,  our  colonial  forces  are  objects 
for  the  well-merited  lash  of  all  foreigners  who  deign  to 
bestow  upon  them  any  attention. 

The  more  I  consider  the  matter,  the  more  puzzled  am 
I  to  explain  the  raison  d'etre  of  such  an  army  as  we 
possess  in  the  colonies,  which  is  neither  of  use  as  a 
police  force,  nor  for  the  purposes  of  war ;  nay,  as 
regards  the  latter,  I  remember  to  have  seen  better  work 
done  by  a  corps  of  volunteers  raised  within  the  kingdom, 
and  who,  besides,  were  bound  by  a  fixed  term  of  service, 
than  by  any  of  the  so-called  regulars  in  the  colonies. 
Even  at  the  present  time  in  Lisbon  there  are  three 
battalions  always  ready  to  start  for  the  colonies,  and 
who  have  in  fact  already  been  there;  a  proof,  in  my 
opinion,  that  the  keeping  up  an  army  abroad,  on  its 
present  footing,  answers  no  other  purpose  than  that  of 
perpetuating  a  bygone  usage. 

On  the  night  of  my  arrival  at  Benguella  I  made  the 
acquaintance  of  the  Judge  Snr.  Caldeira,  who  was 
good  enough  to  join  the  Governor  in  assuring  me  that 
he  would  use  all  his  influence  to  prevent  my  visit  to 
Benguella  being  abortive,  and  he  kept  his  word. 

The  Governor  called  a  meeting,  at  his  own  residence, 
of  the  most  important  inhabitants  of  the  town,  and, 
explaining  to  them  the  motives  of  my  journey  and  its 
proposed  direction,  begged  them  to  render  me  every 
assistance  in  their  power  in  the  way  of  procuring  me 
carriers,  and  thus  enable  me  to  carry  out  my  mission. 
This  they  all  promised  to  do. 

H.  E.  Snr.  Pereira  de  Mello  and  the  judge  were 
indefatigable  from  this  moment,  so  that  on  the  17th 
inst.,  the  day  on  which  the  latter  left  for  Lisbon,  I  had 


STILL  IN  SEARCH  OF  CARRIERS. 


39 


got  together  the  number  of  men  I  asked  for,  viz.  fifty, 
which,  with  the  thirty  expected  from  Novo  Eedondo, 
made  a  total  of  eighty  ;  as  many  as  I  deemed  necessary 
for  the  journey  from  the  mouth  of  the  Cunene  to  the 
Bihe. 

The  old  settler  Silva  Porto  undertook  to  convey  to 
Bihe'  the  heavier  portion  of  the  baggage,  which  we 
could  take  up  at  that  place,  and  where  we  should  have 
to  engage  fresh  carriers  to  pursue  our  journey. 

On  that  day  I  shifted  my  quarters  to  the  house 
previously  occupied  by  the  judge,  although  I  continued 
to  dine  with  the  Governor  and  occasionally  with 
Antonio  Ferreira  Marques,  of  the  firm  of  Ferreira  and 
Goncalves,  who  vied  with  each  other  in  their  polite 
attentions  to  me. 

Next  morning  a  black  in  my  service  robbed  me  of 
some  75  milreis,  and  disappeared  without  leaving  a 
trace  of  the  road  he  took. 

On  the  19th  my  companions  arrived  on  board  the 
gunboat  Tamega,  and  on  the  same  day  we  resolved 
that  we  would  not  go  to  the  mouth  of  the  Cunene,  but 
make  our  way  directly  to  the  Bihe. 

This  fresh  resolution  altered  the  engagements  we 
had  taken  with  the  carriers,  and  besides  this,  the  people 
of  Benguella,  who,  when  led  into  a  distant  country, 
would  not  think  of  deserting,  might  perhaps  feel  in- 
clined to  do  so  when  journeying  at  the  outset  through 
territory  whose  language  and  customs  they  were  ac- 
quainted with. 

And  so  we  had  again  to  alter  the  plan  of  our 
campaign.  I  kept  constantly  in  my  mind  the  narra- 
tives of  Cameron  and  Stanley  in  respect  of  the  trouble 
and  annoyance  caused  by  desertions,  from  which 
indeed  not  even  Livingstone  was  free,  seeing  that  he 
was  abandoned  by  thirty  men  on  his  Tete  journev  with 
Dr.  Kirk. 


40 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


Immediately  after  the  arrival  of  my  two  companions 
it  was  determined  that  Ivens  should  have  the  charge 

o 

of  the  geographical  department;  that  Capello  should 
devote  himself  to  meteorology  and  natural  sciences, 
and  that  I  should  attend  to  the  auxiliary  staff  of  the 
expedition,  whilst  giving  each  other,  of  course,  mutual 
advice  and  assistance.  As  my  duties  therefore  com- 
pelled me  to  set  things  going,  I  began  by  taking 
counsel  of  Silva  Porto. 

I  recounted  to  him  the  fresh  determination  we 
had  come  to,  viz.  to  proceed  directly  to  the  Bihe',  and 
explained  to  him  the  difficulty  in  which  1  was  placed. 
Silva  Porto  came  over  to  Benguella  with  me,  as  his 
house — Bemposta — was  some  four  miles  distant  from 
the  town,  and  called  at  the  various  houses  where  cara- 
vans of  Bailundos  might  be  found,  without  however 
succeeding  in  getting  any  offers  to  carry  the  baggage 
to  Bihe.  We  then  learned  that  a  large  caravan  had 
arrived  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Cauchoix,  and  proceeded 
thither;  that  gentleman  did  his  best  to  help  us,  but  in 
vain,  although  he  offered  a  heavy  gratuity  to  the  chief, 
and  double  pay  to  the  porters,  if  they  would  only  take 
our  things. 

I  wish  to  mention  here  a  very  curious  fact.  The 
Bihenos  are  the  finest  travellers  in  Africa,  and  no 
other  people  extend  their  journeys  to  such  length  as 
they,  or  can  equal  them  in  pluck  and  endurance  under 
fatigue ;  but  these  Bihenos  only  travel  from  Bihe  into 
the  interior  as  hired  attendants,  for  if,  which  is  very 
rare,  they  come  down  to  the  coast,  it  is  on  their  own 
account.  The  Bailundos,  on  the  other  hand,  hire  out 
their  services  between  the  coast  and  Bihe,  and  will  not 
go  into  the  interior  in  an  easterly  direction ;  north- 
wards, however,  they  have  no  objection  to  extend  their 
journeys  to  the  Dumbo  and  Loanda. 

Thus  it  happens  that  merchants  settled  in  the  country 


STILL  IN  SEARCH  OF  CARRIERS. 


41 


have  their  goods  transported  from  Bengnella  to  the 
Bihe  country  by  Bailundos,  and  thence  to  more  remote 
places  in  the  interior  by  Bihenos,  who  come  back  to 
Bihe  laden  with  products  in  exchange ;  and  from  Bihe 
to  the  coast,  the  Bailundos  resume  the  service. 

Having  obtained  this  information,  all  that  was  left 
me  to  do  was  to  hire  some  Bailundos  to  come  over  and 
fetch  the  baggage ;  and  Silva  Porto  having  kindly 
undertaken  the  task  of  procuring  them,  despatched  at 
once  five  blacks  to  Bailundo  for  the  purpose.  The  old 
trader,  however,  did  not  fail  to  assure  me,  from  his  long 
experience,  that  a  good  deal  of  delay  must  be  expected, 
as  it  would  take  his  messengers  fifteen  days  to  reach 
the  country,  and  at  least  as  many  more  to  collect  the 
carriers  ;  so  that,  adding  these  thirty  to  fifteen  others 
for  the  return  journey,  we  must  reckon  upon  forty-five 
days  ere  they  got  back  ;  and  there  was  little  chance 
indeed  of  their  being  here  before.  We  were  then  at 
the  end  of  September,  so  that  by  this  computation  we 
should  not  be  able  to  start  before  the  middle  of 
November.* 

After  taking  counsel  with  my  friends  upon  this  fresh 
phase  in  our  position,  we  resolved  not  to  lose  such 
valuable  time  at  Bengnella  ;  but,  delivering  over  the 
heavy  baggage  to  Silva  Porto,  for  him  to  forward  it 
by  the  Bailundos,  start  at  once  with  such  things  as 
were  indispensable,  and  wait  for  the  remainder  at  Bihe. 
The  time  we  spent  there  could  at  least  be  occupied  in 
hunting  up  fresh  carriers  to  pursue  the  onward 
journey. 

Out  of  the  men  hired  at  Bengnella  we  could  not 
reckon  with  confidence  on  more  than  thirty  performing 
the  journey,  and  these,  with  thirty -six  obtained  from 
Novo  Redondo,  made  a  total  of  sixty-six  men.  Besides 

*  As  a  matter  of  fact,  a  portion  of  these  porters,  viz.  200,  only  reached 
Benguella  on  the  27th  of  December,  and  200  more  at  the  end  of  February. 


42 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


these,  we  had  fourteen  soldiers,  some  young  niggers  for 
my  personal  service,  two  or  three  Kabendas  in  the 
service  of  Capello  and  Ivens,  and  two  native  chiefs, 
one  of  whom,  Barros,  haa  been  engaged  by  me  in 
Katambela,  and  the  other,  Catao,  by  Capello,  in  Novo 
Redondo. 

Among  all  these  men,  there  was  not  one  in  whom 
we  could  repose  any  confidence. 

We  set  to  work  to  select  the  loads  judged  indis- 
pensable, and  found  that  they  were  eighty-seven,  thus 
making  twenty-seven  more  loads  than  there  were 
carriers.  No  one  can  conceive  how  I  laboured  to 
supply  the  deficiency  ;  but  in  vain,  not  another  porter 
was  to  be  had. 

The  blacks,  not  understanding  what  we  intended  to 
do  in  the  interior,  became  uncomfortable,  and,  with  their 
naturally  suspicious  nature,  got  all  kinds  of  fancies, 
which  did  not  improve  matters. 

The  end  of  October  came,  and  still  we  were  in  the 
same  position. 

By  the  advice  of  Silva  Porto,  I  made  up  my  mind 
to  go  into  the  Dombe  country,  and  see  whether  the 
Mundumbes  would  be  more  difficult  to  deal  with  than 
the  people  of  Benguella.  Feeling,  however,  indisposed, 
I  got  Capello  to  go  for  me. 

Capello  started  on  the  29th  and  returned  on  the  3rd 
of  November,  having  made  a  fruitless  journey.  The 
Mundumbes  are  willing  enough  to  go  to  Quillengues 
by  a  road  known  to  themselves,  but  beyond  this  they 
will  not  travel,  and  they  refused  the  very  handsome 
sum  we  offered  if  they  would  go  with  us  to  Bihe. 

It  became  absolutely  necessary  to  come  to  some 
determination,  and  that  we  therefore  at  once  proceeded 
to  do.  We  resolved  still  to  go  to  Bihe,  but  by  the  track 
leading  through  Quillengues  and  Caconda. 

The  Governor,  Pereira  de  Mello,  immediately  gave 


STILL  IN  SEARCH  OF  CARRIERS. 


43 


orders  to  the  chefe  (head  official)  of  the  Dombe  to  have 
ready  fifty  carriers,  to  accompany  us  to  Quillengues ; 
and  Silva  Porto,  as  agreed,  took  charge  of  the  bag- 
gage which  was  to  be  forwarded  to  Bihe,  amounting 
in  all  to  400  loads. 

His  Excellency  placed  at  our  disposal  a  large  boat  to 
convey  by  sea  to  the  Cuio  (Dombe  Grande)  the  loads 
that  had  to  be  transported  thence  to  Quillengues,  and 
certain  of  the  Benguella  carriers  who  were  on  the  sick  list. 

On  the  11th  of  November  we  were  ready  to  leave 
the  coast,  and  we  fixed  our  departure  for  the  following 
day.  On  the  former  date  four  of  the  Novo  Redondo 
porters  ran  away,  and  five  of  the  Benguella  on  the 
very  morning  of  our  departure. 

The  12th  arrived  at  last,  and  with  it  our  final  exit 
from  the  town,  after  the  most  cordial  adieux  and  good 
wishes  of  the  many  friends  assembled  to  wish  us  God- 
speed. Shortly  before  leaving  I  had  gone  down  to  the 
beach  and  feasted  my  eyes  on  the  vast  expanse  of  the 
Atlantic,  on  that  enormous  waste  of  water  which  I 
gazed  on,  perhaps,  for  the  last  time.  Two  years  did 
indeed  elapse  before  I  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  it 
again,  and  then  it  was  in  France,  near  Bordeaux. 

I  do  not  know  if  all  persons  are  affected  in  the  same 
way,  but,  after  I  have  dwelt  for  any  time  in  a  place, 
I  quit  it  with  regret.  At  the  moment  of  leaving 
Benguella,  I  felt  a  pang  of  sorrow,  an  indefinable 
sensation  of  malaise,  which  I  must  confess  the  town 
and  its  surroundings  could  scarcely  of  themselves  be 
held  capable  of  exciting. 

The  national  colours,  carried  by  one  of  our  party, 
were  increasing  their  distance  from  the  town,  as  our 
caravan  wound  its  measured  way  into  the  open,  and 
with  one  more  hasty  farewell  I  hurried  after  it. 

On  the  13th  we  reached  the  Dombe,  having  made  a 
journey  of  40  miles.     We  had  with  us  sixty-nine 


44:  THE  KING'S  BIFLE. 

persons  and  six  donkeys,  which  were  all,  men  and 
asses  alike,  lodged  in  the  fortress.  We  three,  with  our 
body  servants,  were  most  kindly  welcomed  to  the 
house  of  Manuel  Antonio  de  Santos  Reis,  a  perfect 
gentleman,  who  could  scarcely  do  enough  to  serve  us. 

It  was  a  couple  of  days  later  that  our  baggage, 
which  had  been  sent  by  sea,  arrived,  and  after  a  care- 
ful examination  of  the  whole  I  found  100  men, 
besides  those  I  had  with  me,  would  be  necessary 
for  its  transport. 

This  arose,  1  presume,  from  an  abuse  of  the  accomo- 
dation offered  us  by  the  boat,  more  things  being  put 
on  board  than  those  we  at  first  judged  absolutely 
necessary. 

We  decided  upon  leaving  on  the  18th,  after  receiv- 
ing our  letters  from  Europe,  as  the  packet  usually 
reached  Benguella  on  the  14th  ;  but  not  only  on  the 
18th  had  the  steamer  not  arrived,  but  the  ehefe  had 
not  hired  a  single  porter. 

The  mail  came  in  on  the  21st,  but  as  regards  fol- 
lowers we  still  had  only  those  we  brought  from 
Benguella.  The  chefe  declared  all  should  be  ready  by 
the  26th;  but  so  far  from  this  being  the  case,  only 
nineteen  out  of  the  hundred  required  appeared  on  that 
day.  Next  morning  we  procured  twenty-seven  more  ; 
when,  fearing  if  there  were  any  greater  delay  those  I 
had  already  obtained  would  take  themselves  off,  I  at 
once  despatched  them  to  Quillengues,  under  the  charge 
of  two  of  the  soldiers  I  had  with  me. 

The  chefe  asseverated  that  it  was  impossible  for  him 
to  get  any  more  men.  Whereupon  I  invited  to  the 
fortress  the  three  Sovas  (native  chiefs  or  princes)  of  the 
Dombe  for  the  28th,  in  order  to  see  whether  1  could 
not  myself  treat  with  them.  They  came — three  magnifi- 
cent specimens,  whose  appearance  was  calculated  to 
strike  a  beholder  with  surprise,  if  not  with  awe. 


STILL  IN  SEARCH  OF  CARRIERS, 


45 


One  was  called  Brito,  a  name  he  had  borrowed  from 
a  former  Governor  of  Benguella,  who  had  restored  him 
to  power ;  the  second,  Bahita  ;  and  the  third,  Batara. 
My  companions  unfortunately  could  not  be  present  at 
this  serio-comic  meeting,  as  they  had  been  suffering 
since  the  24th  from  fever. 

Sova  Brito  was  attired  in  three  petticoats  of  chintz, 
of  a  large  flowered  pattern,  very  rumpled  and  dirty, 
with  an  infantry  captain's  coat,  unbuttoned,  displaying 
his  naked  breast,  for  shirt  he  had  none ;  and  on  his 
head,  over  a  red  woollen  nightcap,  was  jauntily  posed 
the  cocked  hat  of  a  staff  officer. 

Bahita  also  wore  petticoats,  of  some  woollen  stuff  of 
brilliant  colours,  a  rich  uniform  of  a  peer  of  Portugal, 
nearly  new,  and  on  his  bead,  over  the  indispensable 
nightcap,  a  kepi  of  the  5th  Chasseurs. 

As  to  Batara,  he  was  dressed  simply  in  rags,  but  had 
buckled  about  his  waist  an  enormous  sabre. 

These  illustrious  and  grave  personages  were  sur- 
rounded by  the  satellites  and  high  dignitaries  of  their 
negro  courts,  who  squatted  on  the  ground  about  the 
chairs  on  which  their  respective  sovereigns  were  seated. 
Bahita  was  accompanied  by  a  minstrel  who  played 
upon  a  Marimba,  from  which  he  drew  the  most 
lugubrious  sounds. 

This  instrument  is  formed  of  two  sticks  about  three 
feet  in  length,  slightly  curved,  there  being  stretched 
from  end  to  end  strings  of  catgut  on  which  are  fixed 
thin  strips  of  wood,  each  of  which  is  a  note  of  a  scale. 
The  sound  is  increased  by  means  of  a  row  of  gourds 
placed  below,  so  arranged  that  the  lowest  note  corre- 
sponds to  a  gourd  having  a  capacity  of  six  to  seven 
pints  and  the  highest  to  one  of  a  quarter  of  a  pint  or  less. 

The  sovas  conducted  themselves  with  such  extra- 
ordinary gravity  that  in  spite  of  myself  I  imitated 
their  example. 


46 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


After  having  promised  me  carriers,  they  were  good 
enough  to  accompany  me  to  my  temporary  home,  about 
a  mile  and  a  half  from  the  fortress;  and  as  I  made 
each  of  them  a  present  of  a  bottle  of  aguardente,  they 
ordered  their  chief  officials  to  honour  me  with  a  dance, 
and  Bahita  commanded  some  girls,  who  had  hitherto 
been  kept  out  of  sight,  to  be  brought  forward  to  join 
in  the  entertainment. 

I  begged  them  to  dance  themselves,  but  they  gave 
me  to  know  that  their  dignity  would  not  allow  of  such 
a  proceeding,  it  being  contrary  to  all  established  rule. 
I  ardently  desired,  however,  to  see  Bahita  capering  in 
petticoats  and  a  peer's  uniform ;  and  aware  of  the 
power  of  liquor  over  the  negro,  I  gave  instructions  that 
a  fresh  bottle  should  be  presented  to  their  majesties. 

This  was  quite  enough.  Laws  and  established  rules 
were  soon  cast  to  the  winds,  and  I  had  the  delight  to 
see  them  all  join  in  a  grotesque  dance  in  the  midst  of 
their  people,  who,  fired  with  enthusiasm  at  the  sight, 
rolled  about  and  went  through  such  violent  contortions 
that  one  would  have  thought  they  had  all  gone  into 
fits  or  were  afflicted  with  some  new  kind  of  madness. 
Bahita  was  simply  grand,  and  I  cannot  help  thinking 
that  the  "  roi  Bobeche  "  must  have  been  created  after 
some  such  model.  In  his  excitement  he  talked  of 
nothing  but  ordering  people's  heads  to  be  cut  off; 
sentences  which  those  around  him  listened  to  with  the 
utmost  apparent  submission,  with  their  tongues  in  their 
cheeks  all  the  time,  as  they  knew  full  well  the  Por- 
tuguese Government  would  allow  of  no  tricks  of  that 
kind  within  its  jurisdiction. 

The  Dombe  Grande  is  a  most  fertile  valley,  which 
extends  first  from  south  to  north,  and  then  westwards, 
almost  in  a  right  angle,  to  the  sea.  It  is  framed  in  by 
two  systems  of  mountains,  one  on  the  west,  which 
borders  the  coast,  and  the  other  on  the  east ;  and 


STILL  IN  SEARCH  OF  CARRIERS. 


47 


through  it  runs  a  river  known  under  no  fewer  than 
four  names,  the  Dombe,  Coporolo,  Quiporolo,  and  St. 
Francisco. 

This  river,  very  full  of  water  in  winter,  is  generally 
quite  dry  in  summer,  although,  even  in  the  times  of 
greatest  drought,  water  can  always  be  had  by  digging 
wells  ;  this  is  the  case,  in  fact,  throughout  the  Dombe 
valley,  where  one  never  need  go  deeper  than  ten 


Fig.  1. — Mun  dombe  Women,  Vendors  of  Coal. 
(From  a  photograph  by  the  chemist  Monteiro.) 

feet  to  obtain  the  desired  supply.  Close  to  the 
western  mountains,  in  that  part  of  the  valley  which 
runs  north  and  south,  there  is  a  lake,  fifty-four  yards 
wide  by  five-eighths  of  a  mile  in  length,  of  the  shape  of 
the  letter  S.  This  lake  is  curious,  inasmuch  as  it  is  not 
formed  by  rain  deposits,  but  is  fed  by  a  strong  subter- 
ranean spring  :  its  level  is  never  changed,  the  surplus 
being  carried  off  by  infiltrations  which,  less  than  a  mile 


18 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


lower  down,  jut  out  in  the  shape  of  springs,  that  are 
made  use  of  for  irrigating  some  property  in  the 
neighbourhood.  The  lake  is  said  to  contain  some  large 
fish  and  many  crocodiles. 

I  visited  it  frequently,  but  never  caught  sight  of 
either  crocodile  or  fish.  I  must  believe,  however,  that 
they  exist,  because  my  kind  entertainer  assured  me  of 
the  fact,  and  that  they  were  very  voracious  to  boot. 
He  stated,  besides,  in  corroboration  of  his  assertion,  that 
in  1876,  his  place  having  been  attacked  by  a  band  of 
marauders  from  Quillengues,  the  latter  were  defeated 
by  his  blacks,  and  attempted,  in  their  flight,  to  swim 
the  lake.  Not  one,  however,  reached  the  opposite 
bank,  the  whole  of  them  having  fallen  a  prey  to  the 
voracious  denizens  of  the  waters. 

In  those  same  western  mountains,  which  are  formed 
of  calcareous  carbonate  and  some  sulphate  of  lime,  and 
in  close  proximity  to  the  lake,  exist  certain  huge 
grottoes  or  caverns,  which,  as  we  were  informed  by  our 
host,  had  never  been  explored,  and  which  contained,  in 
so  far  as  could  be  observed  from  outward  inspection, 
extensive  galleries. 

Capello,  myself,  and  our  host,  Snr.  Reis,  went  to 
visit  one  of  them,  and  found  that  it  had  been  greatly 
exaggerated. 

It  formed  a  species  of  hall,  nearly  circular,  of  about 
15  yards  in  diameter,  scooped  by  nature  out  of  the 
immense  mass  of  calcareous  stone  of  which  the  mountain 
was  composed.  It  would  seem  to  be  a  regular  haunt  of 
wild  beasts,  as  one  might  judge  from  the  air, which  was 
perfectly  saturated  with  the  pungent  smell  of  certain 
animals,  as  wTell  as  from  the  traces  of  a  lion  impressed  on 
the  impalpable  powder  which  covered  the  ground,  where 
we  met  with  a  few  quills  of  the  Hystrix  Africano. 

In  the  valley  of  the  Dombe  there  are  some  important 
agricultural  estates,  the  chief  of  them  being  that  of  the 


STILL  IN  SEARCH  OF  CARRIERS. 


49 


Loache,  one  of  Paula  Barboza,  and  that  of  our  host, 
Santos  Reis.  The  last  mentioned  is  scarcely  three 
years  old,  and  produces  sugar-cane  in  sufficient  quantity 
to  yield  more  than  eight  thousand  gallons  of  rum ;  and 
it  must  be  remembered  that  the  land  was  previously  all 
forest-grown,  and  has  only  been  three  years  cleared. 
The  estate  is  otherwise  still  in  its  infancy,  everything 
being  in  course  of  construction  ;  but  one  may  readily 


Fig.  2. — Mundombe  Women  and  Girls. 
(From  a  photograph  by  Monteiro.) 


judge,  from  the  results  already  obtained,  how  richly 
productive  is  the  soil  in  this  part  of  the  world. 

The  entire  valley  is  cultivated  with  manioc  by  the 
natives,  and  is  so  fertile  that  even  after  three  years 
drought  its  production  is  perfectly  regular,  more  than 
fifty  thousand  bushels  of  the  flour  being  exported 
during  the  year.  It  is,  in  fact,  the  granary  of  Benguella. 
The  natives  of  those  parts  do  not  trade  by  barter,  but 
sell  their  products  for  money,  the  value  of  which  they 
are  very  well  acquainted  with. 

vol.  r.  e 


50 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


Our  compulsory  delay  in  this  country  was  most 
injurious  to  the  order  and  discipline  of  my  people. 

Every  day  they  put  forward  some  fresh .  claim ; 
every  day  some  quarrel  or  other  arose  among  them  ; 
and  I  feared  to  be  too  strict  lest  they  should  all  desert 
me  in  a  body. 

They  sold  their  clothes  to  purchase  aguardente,  and 
even  went  so  far  as  to  dispose  of  their  rations  of  food 
to  procure  liquor  wherewith  to  muddle  themselves. 


Fig.  3. — Mundombe  Men.    (From  a  photograph  by  Monteiro.) 

The  soldiers  were  the  worst.  The  Sovas  did  not 
send  us  any  men,  and  I  began  to  apprehend  a  repe- 
tition of  the  Benguella  scenes — any  way  we  could 
not  stir. 

On  the  1st  of  December  thirty  men  arrived  at 
Dombe,  sent  from  Quillengues  by  the  military  chefe, 
to  fetch  some  baggage  belonging  to  him.  I  at  once 
pounced  upon  them,  and  arranged  with  my  companions 
to  start  on  the  4th. 


STILL  IN  SEARCH  OF  CARRIERS.  51 

We  had  to  record  three  other  desertions :  two  men 
from  Novo  Redondo,  and  one  from  Benguella. 

Our  donkeys  were  very  troublesome  and  obstinate, 
and  there  was  no  one  who  knew  how  to  train  them  ; 
the  parting  with  them  was,  however,  out  of  the  ques- 
tion, so  we  managed  as  best  wre  could. 


e  2 


52 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  STORY  OF  A  SHEEP. 

Nine  days  in  the  desert — Want  of  water — The  ex-chef e  of  Quillengues — I  lose 
.    myself  in  the  bush — Two  shots  in  time — A  little  nisger  and  a  negress 
missing — Loss  of  a  donkey — Quillengues  at  last — Death  of  the  sheep. 

On-  the  4th  of  December  I  left  the  Dombe,  at  eight  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  and  bent  my  course  to  Quillengues. 
Capello  and  Ivens  remained  behind  for  a  while  to 
arrange  about  sending  on  some  of  the  luggnge,  in- 
tending to  join  me  at  night.  By  the  advice  of  the 
guides,  we  did  not  follow  the  caravan  route,  but  a  by- 
path known  to  themselves,  so  as  to  avoid  the  usual 
fords  of  the  River  Coporolo,  which  were  already  some- 
what difficult  on  account  of  the  quantity  of  water, 
whilst  the  other  path  led  to  shorter  and  more  con- 
venient fording-places. 

After  two  hours'  march  in  the  plain,  we  arrived  at 
the  foot  of  the  Cangemba  range,  which  borders  the 
valley  of  the  Dombe  on  the  east  side.  Here  we  got  a 
little  rest,  and  at  eleven  started  off  again,  endeavour- 
ing to  cross  the  mountain  by  the  bed  of  a  torrent, 
then  dry.  It  was  difficult  work.  The  men  were 
heavily  laden,  for,  besides  the  actual  loads  of  the 
expedition,  weighing  66  pounds,  they  carried  rations 
for  nine  days,  in  the  shape  of  manioc  flour  and 
dried  fish.  The  difference  of  level  was  barely  550 
yards ;  but  the  bed  of  the  torrent,  formed  of  calcareous 
rock,  offered  formidable  obstacles  to  our  progress.  In 
many  places  it  was  necessary  to  use  our  hands  as  well 


THE  STORY  OF  A  SHEEP. 


53 


as  feet  to  get  along,  and  the  getting  the  donkeys  over 
the  ground  was  a  work  of  considerable  difficulty. 

We  had  purchased  in  the  Dombe  a  couple  of  sheep, 
to  be  killed  upon  the  road,  and  one  of  them  followed 
our  party  readily  enough ;  the  other,  however,  caused 
us  a  good  deal  of  trouble,  by  not  only  refusing  to 
follow  but  showing  a  great  and  constant  inclination 
to  return  to  the  country  we  had  left  behind. 

Three  hours  were  spent  upon  our  fatiguing  march, 
and  in  covering  a  thousand  yards  at  most  of  ground. 
The  sun  poured  down  upon  us  as  we  toiled  on,  un- 
sheltered, and  we  were  fagged  out  with  our  exer- 
tions. We  encamped  at  length  beside  a  well  dug  in 
the  sandy  bed  of  a  rivulet  that  had  run  dry,  and  to 
which  little  stream  the  Mundombes  gave  the  name  of 
Cabindondo.  The  spot  was  an  arid  one,  and  only  here 
and  there  were  visible  some  white  thorns,  curled  and 
burnt  by  the  sun,  which  at  this  period  of  the  year 
literally  pierce  like  a  knife.  Our  horizon  was  formed 
by  the  summits  of  the  mountains  which  run  north  and 
south. 

Towards  evening  Capello  and  Ivens  put  in  an  ap- 
pearance, and  we  at  once  sat  down  to  our  meal — not 
before  we  needed  it,  and  1,  indeed,  was  still  fasting. 
On  the  5th,  at  early  morning,  we  were  on  the  move  in 
a  S.E.  direction,  and  after  four  hours'  march,  during 
which  we  got  over  a  space  of  twelve  miles,  we 
pitched  our  tents  in  a  place  which  the  guides  called 
Taramanjamba,  an  extensive  valley,  surrounded  by 
hills  of  no  great  height.  The  altitude  was  found  to 
be  656  yards,  thus  showing  that  we  were  scarcely  more 
than  110  yards  above  our  camp  of  yesterday. 

Vegetation  continued  poor,  and  the  want  of  water 
was  great.  For  drinking  and  cooking  purposes  we 
obtained  but  little,  in  the  shape  of  rain  deposits  in  the 
cavities  of  the  rocks ;  deposits  immediately  exhausted 


54 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


by  our  thirsty  caravan,  so  that  as  night  came  on  thirst 
was  sensibly  felt. 

During  our  march,  if  the  young  asses  continued  to 
be  troublesome,  the  sheep  above  referred  to  was  no  less 
so :  he  was  wonderfully  wild,  and  more  obstinate  than 
the  donkeys.  I  determined  to  have  done  with  him,  and 
my  companions  being  of  the  same  mind  I  gave  orders 
to  the  niggers  to  this  effect,  and  took  a  stroll  in  the 
environs. 

On  my  return  to  the  camp,  I  discovered  that  the 
stupid  fellows  had  misunderstood  my  orders,  and 
instead  of  killing  the  wild  sheep  had  made  away 
with  the  quiet  one. 

On  the  following  morning  we  started  at  daybreak, 
and  after  five  hours'  march  pitched  our  camp  at  a 
placed  called  Tiue,  where  our  guides  assured  us  we 
should  find  water. 

Against  all  expectation,  the  sheep  whose  life  had 
been  saved  by  accident  not  only  gave  over  his  wild 
tricks,  but  took  it  into  his  head  to  follow  me  about 
like  a  dog,  keeping  constantly  by  me,  whether  on 
the  march  or  in  camp. 

The  journey  was  a  difficult  one  that  day;  for  my 
people  were  parched  with  thirst,  and  for  upwards 
of  an  hour  we  had  to  follow  the  dry  bed  of  the  river 
Canga,  naturally  all  stones  and  irregularities,  which 
fatigued  us  very  much. 

The  soil  is  granitic,  and  the  arborary  vegetation 
luxuriant. 

The  water,  just  as  the  night  before,  was  rain  water, 
collected  in  the  cavities  of  the  rocks ;  but  it  was  more 
agreeable  to  the  palate,  and  clearer  to  the  eye. 

Some  of  our  men  had  wounded  feet,  so  that  it  was 
dark  ere  they  reached  the  camp,  as  they  could  only 
crawl  along ;  there  were  others  who  followed  their  ex- 
ample out  of  weakness,  and  many  more  from  sheer  sloth. 


THE  STORY  OF  A  SHEEP. 


55 


On  that  day,  among*  the  laggards  were  unluckily 
the  carriers  of  the  commissariat,  which  made  it  late 
before  we  got  any  food.  Capello,  quiet  and  undemon- 
strative, never  complained  of  the  inconveniences  he  was 
put  to ;  but  he  was  silent  under  them.  Ivens,  on  the 
contrary,  was  always  full  of  spirits,  and  with  his 
loquacity  and  light-heartedness  kept  us  in  good-humour, 
and  often  made  us  merry  with  his  witticisms.  His 
appetite,  which  was  never  at  fault,  was  great  on  this 
occasion,  and  after  the  arrival  of  the  carriers  he 
watched  with  eager  eyes  a  leg  of  mutton  which  a 
nigger  was  turning  before  the  fire  on  a  wooden  spit. 
At  last  he  exclaimed  :  "  If  my  father  could  only  see  me 
eyeing  that  joint,  I  am  sure  the  old  man  would  be 
moved  to  tears  !  " 

Since  leaving  the  Dombe  we  had  scarcely  eaten  once 
a  day,  which  was  the  case  also  with  our  people ;  with 
this  difference,  however,  that  they  ate  without  inter- 
ruption from  the  moment  of  camping  until  they  went 
to  sleep  ;  which  made  me,  not  unnaturally,  appre- 
hensive that  the  rations  given  out  for  nine  days  would 
be  very  soon  exhausted,  and  that  hunger  would  follow 
in  a  country  where  it  was  impossible  to  obtain  food. 

On  the  following  day  we  made  sixteen  miles  in 
an  E.S.E.  direction,  and  pitched  our  tents  in  a  forest 
called  Chalussinga ;  the  ground,  still  granitic  in 
character,  was  relatively  better  walking,  and  the 
vegetation  was  of  a  more  vigorous  kind  than  we  had 
hitherto  seen. 

We  met  in  this  forest  with  the  first  baobabs  we  had 
seen  since  leaving  the  coast.  Water  continued  to  be 
scarce,  and  was  always  formed  of  rain  deposits.  At 
about  three  in  the  afternoon  of  that  day  we  were 
advised  that  a  caravan  was  coming  in  the  direction  of 
our  camp,  on  its  way  from  the  interior  ;  and  on  issuing 
out  to  meet  it,  we  found  that  it  was  the  ex-chefe  of 


56 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


Quillengues,  Captain  Roza,  on  his  way  to  Benguella  in 
ill-health.  We  invited  him  to  our  tent,  where  he 
dined,  and  at  parting  we  were  able  to  furnish  him  with 
some  medicines,  of  which  he  stood  greatly  in  need. 

After  he  had  left  I  was  informed  by  the  young 
niggers  that  round  the  camp  there  were  fresh  tracks  of 
game,  and  I  went  out  to  investigate.  I  followed  the 
trail  of  some  large  antelopes,  and  it  led  me  so  far  that 
night  fell,  with  a  darkness  so  profound  that  I  lost  all 
traces  of  the  way  back  to  the  camp.  A  lofty  mountain 
stood  out  in  sombre  relief  against  a  hazy  sky,  where 
not  a  single  star  was  seen  to  glitter.  It  occurred  to 
me  to  scale  it,  so  that  I  might,  from  some  elevated 
pinnacle  discover  the  lights  of  the  camp,  by  which  to 
direct  my  steps.  I  deemed  the  notion  a  happy  one,  for 
having  ascended  the  mountain  I  discovered  in  the 
distance  a  gleam  of  light,  which  I  at  once  made  for, 
having  marked  the  direction  by  my  pocket  compass. 

None  but  those  who  have  experienced  it  can 
imagine  what  it  is  to  wander  on  a  dark  night  through 
the  brambles  and  underwood  of  a  virgin  forest,  and 
how  much  time  is  expended  in  traversing  a  brief  space, 
leaving,  by  the  way,  here  a  fragment  of  clothing,  and 
there,  it  may  be,  a  portion  of  one's  skin. 

I  arrived  at  length,  guided  during  the  latter  part  of 
the  route  by  human  voices ;  but  judge  of  my  surprise 
and  disappointment  at  finding  that  I  had  mistaken 
Captain  Roza's  camp  for  my  own,  and  that  I  must  still 
he  some  four  miles  distant  from  the  latter !  As 
however  a  road,  or  rather  the  track  left  by  a  caravan, 
connected  the  two  camps,  I  determined  to  push  on, 
by  its  guidance,  and  after  another  hour's  tramp  I  heard 
the  welcome  sound  of  the  horns  blown  by  my  people, 
and  the  occasional  crack  of  a  rifle  fired  off  to  attract 
my  attention  and  direct  my  steps. 

I  reached  my  tent  completely  tired  out  and  wounded 


THE  STOBY  OF  A  SHEER 


with  the  thorns,  and  found  Capello  and  Ivens  in  no 
little  anxiety  on  my  account.  Nor  was  I  allowed  to 
go  undisturbed  in  mind  to  the  rest  I  so  much  needed, 
for  I  was  informed,  to  my  annoyance  though  not  to  my 
surprise,  that  provisions  were  falling  short,  and  that 
the  soldiers  especially  had  in  five  days  consumed  the 
rations  of  nine. 

We  made  a  somewhat  forced  march  next  day,  and 
in  six  hours  covered  18  miles,  still  travelling  E.S.E. 

The  road  was  a  good  one,  as  we  followed  the  track  of 
Captain  Roza's  caravan.  Gigantic  baobabs  continually 
appeared  in  the  forests  we  passed  through.  It  was 
after  crossing  the  river  Calucula  that  we  pitched  our 
tents,  selecting  a  spot  on  the  right  bank  of  the  stream. 

The  river  boasts  of  but  little  water ;  but  what  it 
contains  is  limpid  and  good. 

We  still  continued  eating  but  once  a  day,  the  hour 
for  the  single  repast  varying  from  one  to  three, 
according  to  the  journey.  It  had  become  necessary  to 
be  parsimonious  with  our  stores.  I  still  felt  the  fatigues 
of  the  previous  night,  and  therefore  remained  within 
the  encampment,  instead  of  hunting  up  game.  Ivens, 
as  usual,  employed  himself  at  his  drawing ;  and  Capello 
was  busy  with  his  collection  of  insects  and  reptiles. 

The  soldiers,  having  finished  their  rations,  began  to 
complain  of  hunger,  and  even  talked  of  killing  the 
sheep.  I  had  taken  quite  a  liking  for  the  animal, 
which  had  been  so  suddenly  converted  from  the  wild 
creature  it  was  into  a  gentle  and  domestic  beast, 
following  me,  as  I  have  mentioned,  constantly  about, 
and  never  allowing  me  out  of  its  sight.  The  idea 
therefore  of  killing  it  was  very  repugnant  to  me,  and 
Ivens  for  the  time  diverted  the  soldiers'  attention  by 
giving  them  a  little  rice  from  our  own  stores. 

On  the  9th  we  broke  up  our  camp  at  five  in  the 
morning,  and  kept  steadily  on  our  march  till  one,  when 


58 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


we  rested  on  a  slope  of  Mount  Tama.  From  eight  till 
nine  we  travelled  southwards  by  the  left  bank  of  the 
river  Cbiculi  Diengui,  which  runs  north,  probably  into 
the  Coporolo.  Vegetation  was  becoming  more  and 
more  luxuriant,  and  on  this  day  our  route  lay  through 
a  dense  forest. 

Directly  our  tents  were  pitched,  the  complaints  of 
the  hungry  soldiers  were  again  very  audible,  and  the 
subject  of  killing  the  poor  sheep  was  once  more 
mooted.  Ivens  gave  the  fellows  another  ration  of  rice, 
which  satisfied  them  for  the  time  ;  but  of  course  it  was 
only  staving  off,  as  it  were,  an  evil  day,  and  could  not 
be  considered  as  a  positive  salvation  for  the  poor 
animal. 

Fagged  out  as  I  was,  I  resolved  to  go  hunting  for 
game,  with  a  view  to  save  the  life  of  my  poor  sheep. 

For  upwards  of  an  hour  I  rambled  through  the  forest 
without  result,  and  was  turning  my  steps  camp  ward 
when,  in  a  small  open  space  of  ground,  1  sighted  two 
antelopes  grazing. 

I  drew  near,  but  at  more  than  a  hundred  yards 
distance  my  presence  was  evidently  discovered.  The 
male  leaped  upon  a  rock,  and  there  began  to  cast  his 
keen  eye  in  every  direction,  whilst  the  female,  with  ear 
on  the  alert,  sniffed  about  her. 

The  distance  was  great,  but  I  did  not  hesitate  to  fire, 
aiming  at  the  male,  which  I  had  the  satisfaction  to  see 
fall  and  roll  over.  His  companion,  hearing  the  report, 
sprang  on  to  the  rocky  ground,  when  I  discharged  my 
second  barrel.  With  one  bound,  however,  she  then 
disappeared  in  the  underwood. 

My  young  nigger  started  off  to  secure  the  dead 
antelope,  but  I  perceived  that  instead  of  stopping  at  the 
rock  where  the  creature  was  last  seen,  he  turned  aside 
and  went  farther  on,  and  I  myself  at  length  arrived  at 
the  spot,  and  began,  with  an  anxious  feeling  at  the 


THE  STORY  OF  A  SHEEP. 


59 


heart,  to  search  all  round,  for  I  feared  I  was  mistaken 
in  seeing  the  first  antelope  fall.  It  was  not  so,  however, 
for  on  the  other  side  of  the  rock,  to  my  great  joy,  I  dis- 
covered the  graceful  animal  (  Cervicapra  bohor),  stone  dead. 

I  had  scarce  time  to  satisfy  myself  on  the  point  than 
my  attendant  appeared  from  the  wood  bending  under  a 
heavy  burden. 

It  was  the  second  antelope,  which  he  had  found  dead 
at  no  great  distance  from  the  open  ground.  Both 
animals  had  been  struck  in  the  breast,  but  whereas  the 
male  had  been  killed  upon  the  spot,  the  female  had 
made  a  bound  or  two  before  she  ultimately  fell. 

The  sheep,  then,  was  for  the  time  saved,  and  indeed, 
as  in  two  days'  time  we  ought  to  reach  Quillengues, 
where  provisions  could  be  had,  the  poor  beast  might  be 
looked  upon  as  perfectly  secure. 

On  the  following  day,  after  a  march  of  twenty- 
two  miles,  and  wading  across  the  rivers  Umpuro, 
Cumbambi,  and  Comooloena,  we  encamped  on  the 
right  bank  of  the  Yambo  ;  all  four  streams  run  north- 
wards, to  unite  their  waters — when  they  have  any — 
to  those  of  the  Coporolo,  here  already  called  the 
Calunga,  a  name  which  it  retains  up  to  its  source. 

During  this  day's  march  we  fell  in  for  the  first  time 
with  enormous  grasses,  clothing  the  open  spots  of  the 
wood.  So  tall  and  thick  were  they  that  it  was  quite 
impossible  to  see  over  them,  and  very  difficult  to  effect 
a  passage  through.  In  the  course  of  the  journey  one 
of  my  young  niggers  disappeared,  together  with  a 
negress,  the  wife  of  Capello's  attendant  Catraio  ;  and 
though  I  sent  out  people  to  look  for  them,  they  were 
nowhere  to  be  found. 

The  scarcity  of  provisions  was  great,  and  it  was  not 
the  soldiers  only  who  complained  of  hunger ;  the 
whole  lot  were  grumbling  and  wrould  not  listen  to 
reason.    There  was  no  help  for  it — on  we  must  go. 


60 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


On  the  11th,  after  passing  two  small  streams  which 
the  rains  had  considerably  swollen,  the  Quitaqui  and 
the  Massonge,  we  encamped  on  the  right  bank  of  the 
river  Tui,  very  near  to  Quillengues.  There  was  no 
news  of  the  missing  youth  and  woman,  and  since  the 
evening  before  one  of  the  asses  had  disappeared. 
Whilst  the  men  were  busy  with  the  camp,  I  started  off 
for  the  fortress  of  Quillengues,  in  search  of  stores,  with 
which  I  returned  at  eight  in  the  evening.  Decidedly 
the  sheep  was  saved. 

During  the  night  the  young  negro  and  negress, 
whom  we  thought  lost,  found  their  way  into  camp,  a 
circumstance  which  gave  me  much  pleasure  ;  for,  com- 
pelled as  we  were,  by  hunger,  to  go  on,  we  could  not 
have  lingered  to  search  for  them. 

The  place  where  we  had  pitched  our  tents  was  low 
and  marshy,  without  any  conveniences  at  hand,  and 
isolated.  On  this  account,  we  resolved  to  shift  our 
quarters  and  encamp  in  the  compound  of  the  chefe  of 
Quillengues,  which  we  reached  at  eleven  o'clock  in  the 
forenoon  of  the  12th  of  December. 

I  there  paid  and  discharged  the  carriers  from 
Dombe  who  had  engaged  to  come  with  us  to  Quillen- 
gues, and  I  begged  the  chefe,  Lieutenant  Eoza,  to 
obtain  others  for  me  to  Caconda.  This,  he  assured  me, 
would  be  easy ;  only,  as  he  was  informed  that  the 
streams  between  Quillengues  and  Caconda  were  too  full 
to  allow  of  crossing,  we  should  not  be  able  to  start 
immediately. 

We  fed  well  on  that  day,  in  fact  we  had  two  meals, 
breakfast  and  dinner. 

A  few  days  after  this,  the  donkey  which  had  been 
lost  in  the  woods  was  brought  into  camp  by  a  native, 
who  had  found  it  strolling  about.  I  gave  the  negro  a 
gratuity  to  encourage  him  in  his  honesty  ;  and  besides, 
I  never  expected  to  see  the  poor  animal  again,  for  if  it 


THE  STORY  OF  A  SHEEP. 


61 


escaped  the  teeth  and  claws  of  the  wild  beasts,  it  could 
not,  as  I  thought,  avoid  capture  by  some  wandering 
thief. 

Quillengues  is  a  valley  watered  by  the  Calunga  (a 
river  which  I  suppose  to  be  the  upper  course  of  the 
Coporolo),  is  extremely  fertile,  and  covered  with  a 
native  population. 

The  Portuguese  establishment  occupies  an  area  of 
56,875  square  yards  ;  it  being  of  rectangular  shape, 
273  yards  by  199.  This  rectangle,  surrounded  by  a 
palisade,  has  four  bastions,  built  of  masonry  half  way 
up  each  face  ;  and  within  are  barracks  which  form  the 
residence  of  the  military  chef  a  and  quarters  for  the 
soldiers. 

Some  baobab-trees  and  sycamores  shade  with  their 
gigantic  branches  and  thick  foliage  a  ground  covered 
with  the  huge  native  grass  which  affords  pasture  to 
the  chef  e  a  flocks. 

If  the  importance  of  Quillengues  is  great  as  a  pro- 
ductive centre,  and  easy  of  colonisation,  it  is  not  less  so 
as  a  strategic  position ;  inasmuch  as  it  may  be  con- 
sidered one  of  the  keys  to  the  interior,  with  respect  to 
Benguella. 

The  petty  chiefs  of  the  country  acknowledge  the 
Portuguese  authority  ;  but  being  by  nature  predatory, 
they  attack  unceasingly  other  native  tribes,  and  carry 
off  their  cattle. 

They  are  more  pastoral  than  agricultural,  but  not- 
withstanding cultivate  the  land,  which  yields  abun- 
dantly to  the  slightest  care,  producing  maize,  massam- 
bala,  and  mandioca  or  manioc  in  large  quantities. 

Their  dwellings  are  circular  huts  from  ten  to  fifteen 
feet  in  diameter,  constructed  of  the  trunks  of  trees, 
plastered  with  mud.  The  door  is  sufficiently  high  to 
afford  passage  to  a  man  without  stooping. 

The  inhabitants  of  Quillengues  are  tall  of  stature 


62 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


and  robust,  and  are  by  nature  bold  and  warlike. 
Their  manufacturing  powers  are  not  remarkable,  and 
do  not  seem  to  go  much  further  than  the  fashioning 
out  of  iron  their  assegais,  arrow-heads,  and  hatchets, 
both  for  warlike  purposes  and  cutting  wood.  Their 
metal  castings  are  not  made  at  home,  but  are  pur- 
chased in  the  Dombe  country  or  in  Benguella. 

Their  folds,  like  their  villages,  are  surrounded  by  a 
strong  palisade  :  which  is  further  protected,  exteriorly, 
by  a  thorny  abattis,  to  guard  against  the  night  attacks 
of  wild  beasts. 

The  mandioca  fields  are  similarly  protected  by 
thorns,  for  small  deer  (Cephalophus  mergens)  abound, 
and,  from  their  extreme  liking  for  the  leaves  of  the 
mandioca,  cause  serious  damage  to  the  plantations. 

Aguardente  is  in  great  favour  with  the  Quillengues, 
and  so  given  are  these  people  to  drunkenness,  that 
during  three  months  in  the  year — so  long  in  fact  as 
lasts  the  fruit  of  the  gongo,  from  which  a  fermented 
liquor  is  made — they  are  constantly  in  a  state  of  intoxi- 
cation, and  no  possible  service  can  be  got  out  of  them 
for  love  or  money. 

When  a  man  is  desirous  of  matrimony,  he  sends  to 
the  father  of  the  lady  of  his  choice  a  present,  which 
must  be  composed  of  four  yards  at  least  of  cloth  from 
the  coast,  and  a  couple  of  bottles  of  aguardente.  The 
bride  comes  back  with  the  bearer  of  the  gift,  accom- 
panied by  her  relatives,  when  a  great  feast  is  held, 
whereof  the  piece  de  resistance  is  an  ox  offered  by  the 
bridegroom. 

Adultery  is  held  in  high  favour  by  husbands  in  this 
part  of  the  world,  as  their  barbarous  law  enables  them 
to  get  a  heavy  fine  out  of  the  lover  in  the  shape  of 
cattle  and  aguardente.  A  wife  who  has  no  peccadilloes 
to  answer  for  gains  but  little  favour  in  the  eyes  of 
her  lord,  as  she  does  not  help  to  increase  his  store. 


THE  STORY  OF  A  SHEEP. 


63 


When  the  lady  has  fallen  off  from  her  duty,  she  goes 
to  her  husband  to  complain  of  having  been  led  astray, 
and  upon  the  accusation  of  the  wife  a  conviction  is 
obtained. 

When  a  death  occurs,  the  body  is  shrouded  in  a 
white  cloth,  and  being  covered  with  an  ox-hide  is 
carried  to  the  grave,  dug  in  a  place  selected  for  the 
purpose.  The  days  following  on  an  interment  are 
days  of  high  festival  in  the  hut  of  the  deceased.  The 
native  kings  are  buried  with  some  ceremony,  and  their 
bodies,  being  arrayed  in  their  best  clothes,  are  conveyed 
to  the  tomb  in  a  dressed  hide.  There  is  great  feasting 
on  these  occasions,  and  an  enormous  sacrifice  of  cattle, 
for  the  heir  of  the  deceased  is  bound  to  sacrifice  his 
whole  herd  in  order  to  regale  his  people  and  give  peace 
to  the  soul  of  the  departed. 

On  the  22nd  we  had  a  disastrous  event  occur  in 
our  camp. 

One  of  my  young  negroes  stole  a  Pertuisset  explosive 
bullet,  and  in  company  of  two  of  his  fellows  resolved 
to  let  it  off,  in  order  that  each  might  have  a  piece  of 
the  lead.  Resting  the  bullet  on  a  stone,  one  of  them 
placed  a  knife  across  it,  which  he  struck  with  a  violent 
blow,  the  other  two  standing  near  to  watch  the  sport. 
The  bullet  suddenly  exploded,  wounding  all  three,  one 
of  them — by  name  Silva  Porto  Calomo — severely,  as 
he  received  in  different  parts  of  his  body  thirteen 
fragments  of  the  desired  lead,  many  of  them  producing 
deep  wounds. 

We  sent  off  some  men  to  reconnoitre  whether  the 
rivers  were  yet  fordable,  and  learned  from  them  that 
the  waters  were  still  high — not  a  very  surprising  fact,  as 
it  had  not  left  off  raining  during  the  whole  time  of  our 
encampment.  We  thereupon  resolved  to  take  another 
road,  which,  though  considerably  longer,  was  not  in- 
commoded with  water,  and  in  consequence  begged  the 


64: 


TEE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


chefe  to  have  some  carriers  ready.  This  he  did,  and  on 
the  following  day  I  allotted  the  men  their  loads.  I 
felt,  however,  so  extremely  poorly  myself,  that  though  I 
sent  the  porters  on  I  was  obliged  to  stop  behind,  my 
friends  remaining  with  me  to  bear  me  company.  I 
struggled  against  a  violent  fever  for  three  whole  clays, 
and  was  quite  unconscious  during  the  25th,  Christmas 
Day,  and  the  anniversary  of  my  daughter's  birth. 

I  was  carefully  nursed  by  Capello  and  Ivens,  the 
Chefe  Roza,  and  his  wife,  and  on  the  28  th  was  able  to 
rise  from  my  bed  and  go  out.  It  was  then  determined 
that  we  should  leave  on  the  1st  of  January  1878,  that 
is  to  say,  three  days  afterwards. 

The  wife  of  Lieutenant  Roza  made  me  two  presents, 
which  I  was  far  from  thinking  would  play  an  important 
part,  later  on,  in  my  journey.  They  consisted  of  a 
Sevres  tea  service  and  a  remarkably  tame  she-goat 
of  small  breed,  on  which  I  bestowed  the  name  of  Cora. 

Just  at  this  time  occurred  a  disaster  which  caused  me 
sincere  regret.  My  poor  sheep,  on  whose  behalf  I  had 
willingly  borne  so  many  annoyances  with  my  hungry 
followers,  was  killed  through  a  setter  that  I  had 
brought  with  me  from  Portugal  and  had  made  a 
present  of  to  Capello.  Pursued  by  the  dog,  it  en- 
deavoured to  force  its  way  through  an  opening  in  the 
palisade,  and  broke  its  leg  and  otherwise  injured  itself, 
so  that  it  shortly  died.  It  was  my  first  great  trouble 
during  a  journey  so  fruitful  in  mishaps. 


THROUGH  SUBJUGATED   TERRITORY.  65 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THROUGH  SUBJUGATED  TERRITORY. 

Journey  to  Ngola — The  native  king  Chimhavandongo — Beauty  of  the  country 
— Arrival  at  Caconda — Jose  d'Anchieta — No  correspondence — Arrival  of 
the  chefe — We  fol'ow  the  carriers — Ivens  goes  to  the  Cunene,  and  I  go  to 
the  Cunene — Return  from  Bandeira's  house — Carriers  wanting — My 
opinion. 

Ox  the  1st  of  January  1878  we  quitted  Quillengues, 
where  we  made  a  good  provision  of  food,  and  purchased 
several  oxen  and  sheep,  to  be  slaughtered  upon  the 
journey.  The  chefe,  Lieutenant  Roza,  accompanied 
us  a  few  miles  on  the  road,  when  he  returned  to  his 
simple  home,  and  we  kept  on  our  course,  in  a  S.E. 
direction,  till  we  reached  the  foot  of  the  Quillengues 
range,  where  we  camped  close  to  the  village  of  Seculu 
Unguri. 

We  had  on  this  occasion  a  travelling  companion  of 
the  name  of  Verissimo  Goncalves,  who  had  begged  to 
be  allowed  to  join  our  party  as  far  as  Bihe.  He  was 
the  son  of  a  well-known  Bihe'  trader  who  had  lately 
died,  and  had  been  acting  at  Quillengues  in  the  capacity 
of  a  clerk  to  a  former  servant  of  his  late  father's.  This 
young  man,  a  mulatto  and  but  poorly  educated,  was 
short  in  stature  and  perverted  in  mind,  being  full  of  the 
vices  proper  to  his  race,  but  was  still  not  wanting  in 
good-nature  or  intelligence. 

I  make  somewhat  particular  mention  of  him,  as  he 
will  appear  again  in  the  course  of  my  narrative. 

He  was  shy  and  timid,  though  not  cowardly,  and 

VOL.  I.  F 


66 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


under  a  rather  weakly  appearance  concealed  a  strong 
constitution  and  muscles  of  iron.  He  could  scarcely 
read  or  write,  but  was  a  tolerable  shot  and  a  crafty 
woodsman. 

During  our  stay  at  Quillengues  I  had  managed  to 
break  in  two  of  the  asses,  which  were  very  useful  to 
me  as  mounts  on  this  new  journey. 

The  following  day,  at  starting  we  commenced  the 
ascent  of  the  mountain,  here  called  Mount  Quissecua. 

It  was  excessively  toilsome  work,  and  for  three 
weary  hours  we  had  to  struggle  with  the  asperities  of 
the  mountain  side,  till  we  reached  an  elevation  of  5700 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  or  2740  above  the 
plateau  which  terminates  at  Quillengues. 

In  a  defile  of  the  mountain  we  passed  a  small  rivulet 
which  the  natives  call  Obaba  tenda,  meaning  "  cold 
water."  We  fixed  our  camp  on  the  bank  of  another, 
called  Cuverai,  an  affluent  of  the  Que'.  These  two 
rivulets  are  permanent,  and  their  waters  flow  into  the 
Cunene. 

The  soil  continued  granitic,  but  the  vegetation  had 
entirely  changed  in  aspect — due,  of  course,  to  the 
elevation  we  had  reached.  The  baobab  had  disappeared, 
and  ferns  were  nestling  in  the  shade  of  the  numerous 
and  varied  acacias  which  peopled  the  wroods.  The  flora 
presented  greater  wealth  of  herbaceous  plants,  and  in 
the  grasses  more  especially  the  most  vigorous  vegetation 
was  observable. 

I  noted  that  at  times  we  traversed  regions  where  not 
a  single  bird  was  visible,  and  then,  all  of  a  sudden,  we 
would  enter  tracks  where  thousands  of  the  feathered 
tribe  almost  deafened  the  ears  with  their  noise.  Of 
larger  game  there  wras  but  little,  but  there  w7ere  traces 
of  its  existence. 

During  the  night  of  the  following  day  we  had  rather 
a  curious  adventure.    We  were  encamped  beside  the 


THROUGH  SUBJUGATED  TERRITORY. 


67 


Quicue,  a  brook  running  S.E.  over  a  granitic  bed,  to 
swell  the  waters,  most  probably,  of  the  Que,  when  we 
heard  Capello's  dog  barking  furiously  at  something  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  the  hut.  At  the  same  time  we 
were  conscious  of  a  sound,  at  no  great  distance  from 
us,  like  that  of  an  animal  chewing  the  cud,  which 
induced  us  to  believe  that  the  donkeys  had  got  out  and 
were  grazing  in  the  camp  that  was  surrounded  by  the 
thorny  abattis.  We  therefore  quieted  the  dog  and  wrent 
off  to  our  beds.  Day  wTas  just  breaking  when  we  heard 
a  great  uproar  in  the  camp,  and  turning  out  we  learned 
that  the  blacks,  who,  at  the  outset,  like  ourselves,  thought 
the  donkeys  had  broken  loose,  had  discovered  their 
mistake,  and  that  some  strange  animal  had  got  into  the 
camp.  And  so  in  fact  it  proved,  for  an  enormous 
buffalo  had  done  us  the  honour  of  a  visit  during  the 
night. 

It  was  a  strange  circumstance,  and  at  a  first  glance 
difficult  of  explanation  ;  a  clue,  however,  to  the  mystery 
might  have  been  probably  discovered  in  the  repeated 
roarings  of  the  lions,  that  were  plainly  audible,  and 
which  perchance  drove  the  buffalo  to  our  camp  for 
shelter. 

The  day  after  we  moved  our  camp  close  up  to  the 
village  of  Ngola,  and  I  at  once  caused  my  arrival  to 
be  announced  to  the  native  chief. 

After  breakfast  I  proceeded  to  the  village  to  call 
upon  him.  I  was  accompanied  by  my  young  negro 
servants,  who  carried  a  chair  for  my  use  and  two 
parasols. 

The  chief  at  once  appeared,  armed  with  two  clubs 
and  an  assegai.  He  wore  a  long  waist-cloth,  and  over 
it  a  leopard's  skin.  His  chest  was  bare,  and  from  his 
neck  hung  a  number  of  amulets.  He  received  me  out- 
side his  hut  under  a  burning  sun.  I  offered  him  one 
of  the  parasols  I  had  brought  with  me,  which  was 

f  2 


68 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


covered  with  thin  scarlet  cloth,  an  attention  that 
seemed  to  please  him  mightily. 

I  informed  him  of  the  object  of  my  journey,  which  he 
did  not  readily  comprehend.  He  perfectly  understood, 
however,  the  value  of  the  gifts  I  made  him,  and  con- 
sisting of  a  small  barrel  of  gunpowder,  fifty  gun-flints, 
and  a  dozen  tin  grelot-bells ;  although  my  asking 
nothing  in  exchange  filled  him  with  wonder. 

I  invited  him  to  my  camp  to  see  my  companions,  to 
which  he  agreed,  and  accompanied  me  on  the  spot ;  a 
matter  worthy  of  note,  as  native  chiefs  are  mostly 
suspicious  by  nature. 

When  I  told  him  he  might  bring  a  vessel  in  which 
to  put  some  aguardiente,  he  went  and  fetched  a  bottle 
that  would  hold  about  a  pint  and  a  half.  I  could  not 
help  being  astonished  that  a  chief  of  his  rank  should 
be  so  little  covetous,  and  desired  him  to  procure  a  larger 
vessel.  He  then  sent  for  a  gourd  which  would  contain 
about  a  couple  of  bottles,  and  I  begged  him  to  bring 
another  of  the  same  size.  The  chief  could  not  conceal 
his  admiration  at  my  generosity. 

We  set  off  on  foot,  accompanied  by  three  of  his 
wives,  his  daughters,  and  many  of  his  people,  all  un- 
armed, to  show  me  the  confidence  with  which  I  had 
inspired  him. 

We  reached  the  camp  at  a  time  when  Capello  was 
making  meteorological  observations,  and  our  guest  was 
lost  in  admiration  at  the  thermometers  and  barometers. 

Ivens  shortly  joined  us,  and  after  an  exchange  of 
compliments  showed  our  noble  guest  the  Snider  and 
Winchester  arms,  at  which  he  was  quite  durnfounded. 

Chimbarandongo,  for  that  is  the  name  of  the  native 
chief  of  Ngola,  is  a  man  of  intelligence,  and  knows  how 
to  make  life  very  tolerable  among  his  subjects. 

He  offered  us  an  ox,  and  readily  consented  to  my 
request  to  have  it  slaughtered,  as  we  were  in  want  of 


THROUGH  SUBJUGATED  TERRITORY. 


69 


provisions.  He  wished,  however,  that  I  would  slay  it 
with  my  own  hand. 

The  ox  meanwhile  had  broken  loose,  and  was  making 
towards  the  wood.  It  was  already  some  eighty  paces 
from  us,  when  I  seized  my  rifle,  and,  telling  the  chief 
where  I  would  hit  it,  fired,  and  the  beast  fell. 

Chimbarandongo  went  to  examine  the  animal,  and, 
on  seeing  the  wound,  whence  the  blood  was  running, 
just  between  the  eyes,  in  the  very  place  I  had  indicated, 
he  was  so  astonished  that  he  embraced  me  again  and 
again  in  his  enthusiasm. 

At  about  four  o'clock,  there  broke  over  us  a  violent 
storm,  with  thunder  and  lightning  and  heavy  rain, 
which  lasted  a  couple  of  hours. 

The  chief  took  refuge  in  our  hut  with  his  women 
folk  and  a  few  of  his  chief  followers.  He  then  made 
them  a  speech,  the  object  of  which  was  to  prove  that 
we  had  brought  down  the  rain,  and  with  it  a  vast 
benefit  to  the  country,  then  suffering  from  the  excessive 
heats  of  summer. 

We  tried  to  explain  to  him  that  we  did  not  possess 
any  such  great  powers,  and  that  God  only  could 
influence  the  grand  phenomena  of  nature.  It  was 
Ivens  who  undertook  to  illustrate  how  and  why  the 
rain  fell. 

Before  the  lecture  on  meteorology  was  half  over,  the 
chief  turned  his  followers  out  of  the  hut,  and  assembling 
them  again  at  the  close  of  Ivens's  discourse,  declared 
that  if  it  left  off  raining,  he  would  pitch  upon  the 
unlucky  mortal  who  was  the  cause  of  its  ceasing  and 
have  him  put  to  death  without  delay. 

Disconcerted  at  this  strange  mode  of  interpreting  our 
well-meant  lesson,  we  addressed  ourselves  to  the  task 
of  pointing  out  to  him  the  inutility  of  capital  punish- 
ment, wdiich  probably  had  as  little  effect  upon  him  at 
the  previous  instruction  ;  it  was  clear,  however,  that 


70 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


half  drunk  as  he  was  he  had  sufficient  sense  left  to  dis- 
cover that  our  theories  harmonised  but  little  with  his 
system  of  government. 

When  night  fell,  his  majesty  retired  in  the  most 
comic  fashion,  mounting  pickaback  on  one  of  his 
counsellors,  whose  hands  rested  on  the  hips  of  another 
walking  before  him  ;  and  as  they  were  all  more  or  less 
intoxicated,  they  reeled  about  in  the  most  ludicrous 
way,  threatening  at  every  moment  to  topple  over  to- 
gether, and  perhaps  break  the  sacred  head  of  their 
sovereign  into  the  bargain. 

This  King  Chimbarandongo  was  not  wanting  in 
sense  or  judgment.  He  did  not  believe  in  sorcery,  nor 
did  he  believe  that  we  had  brought  down  the  rain  ; 
but  it  suited  him  to  appear  to  do  so,  in  order  not  to 
lose  his  prestige  among  his  people,  who  were  quite 
satisfied  with  the  form  of  government  he  imposed  upon 
them. 

The  next  day,  when  he  came  to  take  leave  of  us,  he 
let  me  know  that  it  was  his  policy  to  remain  on  good 
terms  with  the  whites ;  inasmuch  as,  through  his 
friendly  relations  with  them,  he  obtained  the  cloth  which 
covered  him,  and  the  arms  and  powder  that  secured 
him  respect  from  his  enemies. 

"  Without  the  whites,"  he  said,  "  we  are  poorer  than 
the  beasts,  as  they  possess  the  skins  we  are  forced  to 
rob  them  of ;  and  those  blacks  are  great  fools  who  do 
not  seek  to  gain  the  friendship  of  the  palefaces." 

The  village  or  hamlet  of  Ngola  is  strongly  defended 
by  a  double  palisade,  put  up  with  some  art,  one  of  the 
faces  being  even  so  arranged  as  to  allow  of  a  cross-fire. 
The  space  inclosed  is  so  vast  as  to  be  able  to  contain 
the  entire  population  of  the  country,  which  gathers 
there,  with  all  its  flocks  and  herds,  when  the  district 
is  in  a  state  of  war.  The  little  stream,  called  the 
Cutota,  runs  right  through  it,  and  it  is  therefore 


THROUGH  SUBJUGA1ED  TERRITORY. 


71 


capable  of  sustaining  a  long  siege  without  any  incon- 
venience in  respect  of  water. 

On  leaving  Ngola,  we  journeyed  for  a  couple  of  hours 
in  a  N.E.  direction,  till  we  fell  in  with  the  Que,  the 
largest  of  the  rivers  running  between  Quillengues  and 
Caconda.  At  the  spot  where  we  attempted  a  crossing 
we  found  tlie  stream  at  least  50  feet  wide  and  from 
12  to  16  feet  deep,  and  therefore  impossible  to  be 
forded.  The  storm  of  rain  of  the  night  before  had 
so  increased  the  volume  of  water  that  the  river  was,  in 
fact,  an  impetuous  torrent. 

A  bridge  formed  of  the  trunks  of  trees  offered  a 
difficult  if  not  perilous  passage  to  the  men,  incumbered 
with  baggage,  but  could  not  be  used  at  all  by  the  oxen 
and  donkeys,  which  must  therefore  be  swum  over. 
After  a  great  deal  of  trouble  the  oxen  did  swim  to  the 
other  bank,  but  the  asses  at  first  refused  to  follow  their 
example.  Partly  by  persuasion,  partly  by  force,  and 
with  a  vast  sacrifice  of  time  and  labour,  the  negro  Barros, 
aided  by  two  of  his  mates,  succeeded  at  last  in  getting 
them  across,  the  men  swimming  by  their  side.  The 
danger  of  such  a  proceeding  will,  however,  be  appre- 
ciated when  1  tell  the  reader  that  the  river  was  full  of 
crocodiles. 

More  than  an  hour  having  been  spent  in  this 
operation,  we  pursued  our  way,  marching  E.N.E.,  till 
we  reached  the  Usserem  rivulet,  whence  I  observed, 
bearing  N.N.W.,  Mount  Uba,  about  which  are 
scattered  the  hamlets  of  Caluqueime.  We  subsequently 
crossed  the  river  Cacurocae,  which  runs  S.S.W.  to 
the  Que,  and  half  an  hour  later  the  river  Quissengo, 
running  to  the  S.E.  to  flow  into  the  Que'.  On  the 
banks  of  this  last-named  river  we  pitched  our  camp, 
at  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  near  the  village  of 
Catonga,  where  a  certain  Roque  Teixeira  has  his 
compound. 


72 


TEE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


Our  day's  march  had  been  19  miles,  and  we  were 
all  very  much  fatigued. 

The  road  was,  it  is  true,  in  great  part  on  the  level, 
the  altitude  varying  only  from  4750  to  4920  feet. 

The  arborary  vegetation  was  somewhat  sparse  and 
meagre,  but  the  herbaceous  continued  varied  and  rich. 

On  the  6th  we  wrere  again  travelling,  north-east- 
wards, and  shortly  after  starting  crossed  the  Que  by  a 
bridge  constructed  by  the  natives.  This  rivulet  is 
17  feet  wide  by  3^  deep,  and  runs  S.E.  into  the  Catapi. 
The  latter  river,  which  bears  lower  down  the  name 
of  Counge,  we  reached  at  11.30  a.m.,  and  camped 
upon  its  left  bank.  It  was  found  at  this  spot  to  be  33 
feet  wide,  and  to  have  a  depth  of  nearly  four  feet, 
with  a  strong  current;  its  course  was  S.E.,  and  it 
flows  into  the  Cunene  near  Luceque. 

I  killed  this  day  a  large  gazelle  (Cervicapra  bohor) 
the  finest  of  the  kind  I  saw  throughout  my  journey  ; 
so  large  was  it  that  it  took  four  men  to  carry  it  to  the 
camp. 

As  night  fell,  the  dog  kept  up  a  constant  yelling  in 
the  direction  of  the  wrood,  proving  to  us  that  hyenas 
were  wandering  round  the  huts,  and  wrhen  night  had 
regularly  set  in  we  had  other  music  in  the  form  of  a 
duet  of  bass  and  counter-bass,  produced  by  the  roaring 
of  a  lion  from  the  undergrowth,  and  the  hoarse  grunt 
of  a  hippopotamus  from  the  river. 

The  aspect  of  the  country  continued  still  the  same. 
On  the  higher  ground,  stunted  woods,  wTith  compara- 
tively few  tall  trees ;  and  below,  dells  filled  with 
leguminous  plants  and  vast  fields  or  meadows  covered 
with  various  grasses,  through  which  meandered  a 
peaceful  river  or  rivulet.  The  soil  was  still  granitic, 
with  rocks  of  varied  aspects  cropping  from  the  surface  ; 
of  mica,  however,  they  contained  but  little. 

We  kept  on  our  N.E.   course,  passing  near  the 


THROUGH  SUBJUGATED  TERRITORY. 


73 


village  of  Cgassequera,  fortified  among  enormous 
granite  cliffs,  and  surrounded  by  gigantic  sycamores, 
producing  a  singularly  picturesque  appearance.  After 
passing  the  Lussola  rivulet,  which  runs  southward  to 
the  Catapi,  we  encamped  on  the  bank  of  the  Nondimba, 
an  affluent,  like  the  former,  of  the  Catapi,  but  running 
northwards. 

The  plateau  on  which  we  then  stood  was  a  very 
lofty  one,  the  altitude  being  found  to  be  5250  feet. 

From  this  spot  we  proceeded  to  Caconda,  crossing 
three  rivulets  by  the  way  which  run  N  N.W.  to  the 
Catapi  and  bear  the  respective  names  of  Chitequi, 
Gramba,  and  Upanga.  Later  on,  we  fell  in  with  the 
Catapi  itself,  flowing  W.S.W.,  and  which,  it  will  be 
remembered,  we  crossed  on  the  6th,  it  then  being 
distinguished  by  the  name  of  Counge. 

At  the  point  we  crossed  it  on  this  occasion  it  was 
33  feet  wide  by  3£  deep,  and  with  a  feeble  current. 

Some  of  the  open  spaces  we  had  to  traverse  in  the 
course  of  the  day  were  covered  with  stout  rushes  or 
canes,  springing  from  a  marshy  bottom,  difficult  of 
passage. 

The  crossing  of  the  river  occupied  time,  and  my  com- 
panions preceded  me  to  Caconda, 

I  reached  the  fortress  an  hour  or  two  later,  and  was 
met  at  the  entrance  by  the  provisional  chefe,  a  mulatto, 
and  rich  landowner  of  the  district,  and  sergeant-major 
of  the  black  forces,  who  explained  that  the  permanent 
chefe  had  gone  to  Benguella,  and  had  left  him  (the 
speaker)  the  bother  of  receiving  us  (these  were  his 
actual  words). 

After  this  most  courteous  address  Snr.  Matheus 
invited  me  to  pass  into  the  fortress.  No  sooner  had  I 
entered  the  inclosure  than  I  observed  talking  with  my 
companions  a  man  above  the  middle  height,  thin  of 
aspect,  with  a  broad  and  well-formed  head,  a  somewhat 


74 


TEE  KING'S  BIFLE. 


restless  eye,  wearing  a  surtout  coat  and  a  white  cravat, 
whom  Capello  introduced  under  the  name  of  "  Jose 
d'Anchieta."  Yes,  there  stood  before  me  the  first 
zoological  explorer  of  Africa,  a  man  who  had  spent 
eleven  years  in  the  districts  of  Angola,  Benguella,  and 
Mossamedes,  enriching  the  cases  of  the  Museum  at 
Lisbon  with  most  valuable  specimens.  I  had  subse- 
quently an  opportunity  of  learning  his  mode  of  life, 
which  is  worthy  of  a  passing  notice. 

Anchieta  was  established  in  the  ruins  of  a  church 
situated  at  about  a  couple  of  hundred  yards  from  the 
fortress. 

The  interior  of  his  habitation  was  in  the  shape  of 
the  letter  T,  surrounded  by  broad  shelves,  on  which 
appeared  a  confused  heap  of  books,  mathematical  in- 
struments, photographic  apparatus,  telescopes,  micro- 
scopes, retorts,  birds  of  every  variety  of  plumage, 
flasks  of  various  sizes,  earthenware,  bread,  bottles 
full  of  multicoloured  liquids,  surgical  cases,  bundles 
of  plants,  medical  products,  cartridge  boxes,  clothes, 
and  other  undistinguishable  articles.  In  one  corner 
was  a  pile  of  muskets  and  rifles  of  various  systems. 
Alongside  the  house  was  an  inclosure,  wherein  I 
observed  some  cows  and  pigs.  At  the  door,  sundry 
negroes  and  negresses  were  skinning  birds  and  pre- 
paring mammiferi ;  and  among  them,  seated  in  an 
old  fauteuil,  which  showed  evidence  of  long  service, 
and  before  a  huge  table,  I  found  Jose  d'Anchieta. 

I  give  up  as  useless  the  attempt  to  describe  what 
was  on  that  table.  Of  nippers,  scalpels,  and  micro- 
scopes there  were  not  a  few. 

On  one  side  a  heap  of  fragments  of  birds  showed 
that  he  was  engaged  in  the  study  of  comparative 
anatomy.  In  front  of  him  a  flower  carefully  dissected 
proved  that  he  had  been  occupied  in  determining  from 
the  disposition  of  its  petals,  the  number  of  its  stamens, 


THROUGH  SUBJUGATED  TERRITORY. 


75 


the  shape  of  its  calyx,  the  arrangement  of  its  seeds  and 
pistil,  the  names  of  the  family,  genus,  and  species  in 
which  it  was  to  be  ranked.  With  his  scalpel  in  hand 
and  his  eye  fixed  on  the  microscope  he  is  accustomed 
to  pass  the  hours  he  can  snatch  from  his  labours  as  a 
collector,  and  now  it  is  a  flower,  now  a  bird,  which 
forms  the  object  of  his  studies. 

Occasionally  his  researches  are  interrupted  by  the 
wail  of  a  suffering  patient,  to  whom  he  devotes  the 
care  of  a  physician  or  dispenses  the  medicine  necessary 
for  his  relief. 

Anchieta  professes  an  unbounded  respect  for  Dr. 
Bocage,  the  director  of  the  Zoological  Museum  of 
Lisbon,  and  speaks  of  him  with  an  amount  of  friendship 
and  esteem  rarely  met  with  out  of  the  closest  bonds  of 
blood-relationship. 

This  however  is  intelligible  :  Anchieta,  who  is  fully 
conscious  of  the  services  he  has  rendered  to  zoologic 
science,  knows  that  he  possesses  in  Dr.  Bocage  a  man 
who  does  him  justice,  and  appreciates  those  services  ;  a 
man  who  completes  in  Europe  the  labour  the  other  has 
begun  in  Africa ;  a  man,  in  fine,  who  knows  how 
much  fatigue,  how  many  fevers,  how  many  incon- 
veniences, each  one  of  those  specimens  has  cost  its 
collector. 

Jose  d' Anchieta  is  one  of  those  who  merit  the 
respect  of  all  men  of  science,  and  more  especially  of  the 
Portuguese,  his  compatriots,  since,  an  indefatigable 
labourer,  he  has  gained  honour  for  his  country,  while 
he  himself  remains  respected,  though  poor,  in  the 
midst  of  the  vice  and  demoralisation  by  which  he  is 
surrounded,  and  whence  he  might  readily  extract  profit 
were  he  less  high-minded  and  scrupulous. 

Merely  to  speak  of  him  is  to  utter  a  eulogium  in  his 
favour,  as  his  name  at  once  recalls  his  labours ;  and 
the  memory  of  his  works  constitutes  his  praise. 


76 


THE  KING'S  BIFLE. 


We  learned  on  our  arrival  that  the  chefe  Castro  had 
been  superseded  and  another  officer  of  the  army  of 
Africa  substituted  in  his  stead.  The  latter  arrived  two 
days  after  ourselves,  and  with  him  Ensign  Castro,  in 
charge  of  the  mails  from  Europe.  The  avidity  with 
which  our  letters  were  devoured  may  readily  be 
conceived. 

I  applied  at  once  for  carriers,  and  Snr.  Castro  offered 
to  accompany  me  to  the  residence  of  Jose  Duarte 
Bandeira,  the  principal  potentate  of  Caconda,  through 
whose  enormous  influence,  he  said,  the  thing  could  be 
easily  managed. 

We  therefore  started  for  Yicete  on  the  morning  of 
the  13th,  Ivens  leaving  at  the  same  time  for  the  dwell- 
ing of  Matheus,  with  a  view  to  make  a  survey  of  the 
Cunene,  at  the  point  of  its  confluence  with  the  Quando. 
It  was  arranged  also  that  I  should  pay  a  visit  to  the 
same  river  further  southwards. 

Capello,  who  was  suffering  from  a  slight  attack  of 
fever,  was  left  behind  nnder  the  care  of  Anchieta. 

My  course  lay  S.S.E.,  and  I  speedily  crossed  the 
rivers  Secula-Binza,  Catapi,  and  Usongne,  flowing 
W.N.W.,  and  as  they  are  10  feet  wide  and  more  than 
3  feet  deep  the  amount  of  water  they  pour  into  the 
main  stream  is  very  considerable. 

After  trudging  some  26  miles  in  a  S.E.  direction,  I 
arrived,  as  night  fell,  at  Yicete,  a  fortified  compound 
among  rocks,  on  the  summit  of  a  hill  which  overlooks 
a  vast  plain. 

I  was  received  by  Jose'  Duarte  Bandeira,  who,  after 
a  hearty  supper,  showed  me  to  an  excellent  bed,  of 
which  I  stood  greatly  in  need. 

The  first  thing  next  morning,  Ensign  Castro  broached 
the  subject  of  carriers,  and  Bandeira  readily  engaged 
to  obtain  one  hundred  and  twenty,  the  number  we  re- 
quired to  help  us  on  to  Bihe. 


THROUGH  SUBJUGATED  TERRITORY.  77 


As  I  expressed  my  desire  to  visit  the  Cunene,  it  was 
resolved  that  we  should  proceed  thither  the  following 
day. 

We  marched  9  miles  to  the  eastward,  and  fell  in 
with  the  river  at  the  Porto  do  Fende. 

I  had  no  sooner  arrived  than  I  shot  a  large  hip- 
popotamus, which  had  been  imprudent  enough  to  come 
to  the  surface  of  the  water  to  breathe  and  look  about 
him,  within  range  of  my  rifle.  I  spent  two  days  at 
this  place.  The  river  is  here  some  370  feet  wide  by 
20  feet  deep,  arid  has  a  current  of  a  mile  an  hour.  Its 
axis  at  the  Porto  do  Fende  is  N.W.  and  S.E.  for  a  space 
of  2  miles;  up  stream  it  runs  from  N.E.  to  S.W.,  and 
higher  up  still  E.  and  W.,  and  below  it  inclines  to 
S.S.W.  for  26  miles  as  far  as  Luceque.  Occasionally 
its  width  is  as  great  as  750  feet,  and  even  more. 

It  abounds  in  hippopotami  and  crocodiles. 

A  mile  below  the  Porto  do  Fende  there  are  some 
rapids  at  the  compound  called  Libata  Grande ;  half  a 
mile  further  down  there  are  others,  known  as  the 
Mupas  de  Canhacuto,  and  10  miles  lower  still  are  the 
cataracts  of  Quiverequeto,  the  last  it  can  boast  of  on  its 
upper  course,  as  from  that  point  it  is  navigable  as 
far  as  the  Humbe. 

The  right  bank,  at  the  spots  where  I  visited  it,  is 
mountainous  and  covered  with  virgin  wood  ;  on  the 
left  extends  a  vast  plain  from  2J  to  3  miles  broad,  up 
to  the  foot  of  the  mountains,  which  form  a  system  of 
slight  elevation,  running  north  and  south,  on  whose 
western  slopes  are  dotted  the  Fende  villages. 

At  eleven  o'clock  at  night  of  the  15th  there  burst  over 
us  a  terrific  storm,  with  vivid  flashes  of  lightning, 
and  such  torrents  of  rain  that  we  were  completely 
drenched. 

We  turned  our  steps  once  more  in  the  direction  of 
Caconda  on  the  17th,  taking  with  us  a  promise  to  be 


78 


TEE  KINO'S  RIFLE. 


supplied  with  carriers  in  less  than  a  week,  and  promi- 
sing in  turn  to  send  the  following  day  a  keg  of 
aguardiente  to  inaugurate  the  convocation.  In  this  part  of 
Africa  aguardente  plays  the  same  part  with  men  as  oil 
does  in  Europe  with  machinery.  There  is  no  moving 
without  it. 

Our  host,  who  had  regaled  us  so  well  in  his  own 
house,  most  probably  forgot  that  we  should  have  to 
travel  the  whole  of  the  day,  and  that  even  if  we  started 
at  daybreak  we  could  not  reach  Caconda  before  night. 
Any  way  we  set  off  with  empty  wallets,  and  by  noon 
we  had  become  desperately  hungry. 

We  came  to  a  halt  in  an  opening  in  the  wood,  when 
I  informed  my  companion,  Ensign  Castro,  that  I  must 
positively  find  something  to  eat  before  I  took  any  rest. 
All  I  could  bag,  however,  was  a  quail,  which  had  to 
serve  us  both,  when  cooked  in  a  soldier's  pot,  for 
breakfast  and  dinner.  I  may  frankly  avow  that  I  have 
breakfasted  and  dined  more  bountifully  than  I  did  on 
that  occasion. 

My  black  fellows,  seeing  the  avidity  with  which  I 
picked  the  quail's  bones,  the  dog  meanwhile  licking 
his  lips  and  watching  my  every  movement  with 
hungry  eyes,  made  me  a  present  of  a  root  of  manioc, 
which  I  divided  with  the  ensign. 

I  reached  Caconda  at  nightfall,  and  after  a  capital 
supper  took  note  that  Ivens  had  not  yet  returned  and 
that  Capello  was  already  convalescent. 

Ivens  came  back  on  the  19th,  and  immediately  on  his 
return  we  sent  off  the  keg  of  aguardente  to  Bandeira, 
at  the  same  time  begging  him  to  use  the  utmost 
despatch  in  getting  together  the  carriers. 

On  the  23rd,  sundry  articles  that  had  been  ordered 
arrived  from  Benguella,  and  with  them  six  tins  of 
biscuits,  a  welcome  gift,  from  Antonio  Ferreira  Marques. 

I  sent  off  another  messenger  to  Vicete,  urging 


THROUGH  SUBJUGATED  TERRITORY. 


79 


Bandeira  to  let  me  have  the  carriers  at  once,  as  we 
were  now  waiting  for  them. 

Still  the  men  did  not  appear,  so  that  I  was  induced 
to  beg  the  chefe  himself  to  repair  to  Yice'te,  and  use 
both  his  influence  and  authority  over  Bandeira  to 
procure  us  what  we  wanted. 

The  chefe  went,  and  shortly  after  wrote  me  that  sixty- 
one  men  were  ready  and  that  there  would  soon  be  more. 
He  had  taken  goods  with  him  for  payment,  but  as 
white  calico  was  the  only  acceptable  currency  in  those 
parts,  he  said  that  he  required  fifty  pieces  more,  which 
we  had  not  got,  but  which  were  subsequently  advanced 
by  Bandeira. 

The  day  after  this  communication  came  another 
letter  from  the  chefe  to  the  effect  that  the  carriers  were 
going  to  be  paid  and  would  come  on  at  once ;  two 
days  afterwards  we  had  a  third  letter  saying  that 
there  were  already  ninety-four  men  collected ;  and 
finally,  on  the  5th  of  February,  we  received  another 
epistle,  informing  us  that  there  was  not  a  single  carrier 
ready  or  ever  likely  to  be ! 

Imagine  our  disappointment ! 

These  were  early  days,  so  that  I  had  not  as  yet,  out 
of  the  depths  of  my  experience,  formulated  in  my  mind 
a  principle  which  later  on  became  with  me  an  article 
of  faith,  and  my  adherence  to  which,  jointly  with  the 
King's  Rifle,  greatly  assisted  me  in  smoothing  the 
difficulties  of  the  way  and  bringing  me  at  length  in 
safety  to  the  end  of  my  journey. 

The  principle  I  allude  to  may  be  summed  up  in  the 
following  few  words. 

"  In  the  heart  of  Africa  distrust  everybody  and 
everything,  until  repeated  and  irrefutable  proofs  will 
allow  you  to  bestow  your  confidence." 

The  further  I  went  the  more  fastidious  did  I  become 
in  the  matter  of  these  proofs,  till  I  began  to  class  them 


80 


TEE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


with  the  existence  of  a  life-long  love,  or  the  solidity  of 
fortune  of  a  merchant  with  enormous  transactions  in 
the  hands  of  distant  agents. 

On  the  receipt  of  the  chefe  s  letter,  each  of  us  pro- 
posed an  expedient  more  foolish  and  extravagant  one 
than  the  other,  but  so  great  was  our  annoyance  that  it 
is  not  surprising  if  our  ideas  were  somewhat  confused. 

When  we  had  calmed  down  a  little,  we  determined 
to  hunt  about  for  carriers  wheresoever  they  could  be 
found,  and  that  if  the  worst  came  to  the  worst  and  none 
were  obtainable,  we  would  start  for  Bihe  without  them, 
and  send  for  our  baggage  from  that  place.  This  last 
notion  appeared  to  us  the  most  feasible. 

The  chefe  came  back  from  Yice'te,  but  I  never  could 
get  out  of  him  a  reasonable  explanation  of  his  and 
Bandeira's  conduct. 

It  was  then  resolved  that  I  should  start  for  the 
Huambo  country,  to  see  whether  I  could  get  any  men 
from  the  native  chief  there,  inasmuch  as  all  were 
agreed,  the  chefe  and  Anchieta  into  the  bargain,  that  it 
was  impossible  to  engage  any  nearer. 

Anchieta  informed  me  that  a  short  time  before  he 
had  met  with  great  difficulty  in  sending  to  Benguella  a 
lot  of  zoological  specimens,  things  of  relatively  much 
easier  transport. 

The  whole  of  this  affair  is  worthy  of  careful  atten- 
tion. I  learned  that  not  only  Bandeira  himself,  but  a 
certain  Mathias,  Sergeant  Matheus,  before  alluded  to, 
and  others  were  accustomed  to  despatch  large  cara- 
vans to  distant  settlements  in  the  interior,  and  yet  not 
one  of  them  could  obtain  a  single  porter  for  us  ! 

I  began  to  fancy  that  there  was  a  fixed  determina- 
tion to  throw  difficulties  in  our  way,  although  I  did 
not  suspect  it  so  strongly  at  that  time  as  I  had 
occasion  to  do  later  on. 

The  course  of  this  narrative  will  show  with  what 


THROUGH  SUBJUGATED  TERRITORY.  81 


malice  aforethought  obstacles  were  raised  to  my 
progress,  and  which,  it  would  almost  appear,  Pro- 
vidence alone  allowed  me  to  overcome. 

I  will,  however,  for  a  time  leave  this  subject  in 
abeyance,  and  before  continuiug  the  account  of  my 
adventures,  which  from  this  point  assume  a  more 
striking  character,  say  a  few  words  with  respect  to 
Caconda. 

The  fortified  post  of  Caconda,  the  deepest  in  the 
interior  of  the  district  of  Benguella,  over  which  at  the 
present  time  wave  the  colours  of  Portugal,  forms  a 
square  of  328  feet,  surrounded  by  a  deep  fosse  and  a 
parapet,  about  which,  here  and  there,  are  distinctly 
visible  the  lines  of  a  temporary  fortification  constructed 
with  some  art.  An  interior  stockade  forms  a  second 
line  of  defence,  and  protects  a  few  tumble-down  houses, 
composing  the  residence  of  the  chefe,  the  barracks,  and 
pow7der  magazine. 

Some  good  pieces  of  brass  ordnance,  mounted  en 
barbette,  and  more  worn  by  time  than  use,  expose  their 
green  and  oxidised  muzzles  to  the  approaching  way- 
farer. 

At  about  200  yards  or  so  to  the  south  of  the  fortress 
are  the  ruins  of  a  church. 

To  the  north  is  a  group  of  poor  little  huts,  occupied 
by  the  soldiers. 

The  country  round  is  agreeable,  and  without  being, 
as  is  asserted,  free  from  fevers,  can  boast  undoubtedly 
of  having  them  in  a  milder  form  than  is  observable 
elsewhere.  The  population  is  exceedingly  scanty,  and 
has  withdrawn  itself  considerably  from  the  vicinity  of 
the  fortress. 

The  soil  is  most  fertile,  and  many  European  plants 
readily  flourish  there,  and  produce  abundantly.  This 
I  observed  to  be  the  case  in  tiny  plots  of  wheat, 
potatoes,  and  other  produce. 

VOL.  I.  Gr 


82 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


The  Seeula-Binza  rivulet  offers  a  source  of  crystal- 
line water  purling  over  a  granite  bed. 

There  are  but  few  trees  near  the  fortress,  cleared 
away  probably  by  the  necessities  of  the  inhabitants, 
for  there  is  but  little  doubt  of  many  having  stood  here 
formerly,  as  they  still  stand  in  clumps  and  woods  at 
some  short  distance. 

Of  trade  there  is  but  little,  and  that  is  carried  on 
very  far  in  the  interior. 

The  same  evidence  of  decline  which  is  visible  in 
Quillengues  is  still  more  patent  here ;  yet  the  import- 
ance of  Caconda  is  as  great  as  that  of  Quillengues,  if 
not  even  greater;  but  it  presents  less  security  for 
trading  operations,  the  Benguella  road  being  infested 
with  thieves. 


TWENTY  DAYS  OF  PROFOUND  ANXIETY. 


83 


CHAPTER  V 

TWENTY  DAYS  OF  PROFOUND  ANXIETY. 

1  leave  Caconda — The  native  chief  Quipembe — Quingolo  and  the  chief  Caimbo 
— Forty  carriers — Fevers — The  Huambo— The  native  chief  Bilombo 
and  his  son  Capoco — Eighty  carriers — Letters  and  news — All  but  lost ! 
I  move  onwards — A  knotty  question  in  the  Chaca  Quimbamba — The 
rivers  Calae,  Canhungamua,  and  Cunene — A  fresh  and  serious  question 
in  the  Sambo  country — The  Cubango — Rains  and  storms — Serious  illness 
— A  terrible  adventure — The  Bihe  at  last ! 

I  started  from  Caconda  on  the  8th  of  February,  1878, 
taking  with  me  six  Benguella  men,  my  young  negro 
Pepeca,  and  Verissimo  Gon calves,  to  whom  I  have 
before  alluded ;  and  I  was  also  accompanied  by 
Lieutenant  Aguiar,  the  chefe  of  Caconda,  who  insisted 
upon  attending  me  in  this  expedition,  the  sole  object  of 
which  was  to  make  arrangements  for  carriers.  He  was 
probably  desirous,  in  taking  this  step,  to  show  his 
willingness  to  be  of  service  to  us,  and  that  he  was  a 
stranger  to  the  events  that  had  occurred  at  Caconda. 

I  must  confess  that  I  never  doubted  the  sincerity  of 
Lieutenant  Aguiar,  because  at  that  time  I  had  not 
become  so  deeply  impressed  with  the  truth  of  the 
principle  I  laid  down  in  the  foregoing  chapter;  and 
even  at  this  day  I  believe  he  was  as  much  deceived 
as  myself,  notwithstanding  his  long  experience  of 
everything  pertaining  to  these  subjugated  lands. 

After  a  journey  of  some  10  miles  towards  the  N.E., 
during  which  I  crossed  a  small  brook,  the  Carungolo, 
near  Caconda,  and  later  on  the  Catapi,  which  there 
runs  to  the  S.W.,  I  reached  the  village  of  Quipembe, 

G  2 


84 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


where  I  was  hospitably  received  by  the  native  chief 
Quimbundo. 

This  chief  at  once  sent  me  a  small  pig,  and  as  I  could 
not  purchase  any  fowls,  he  made  me  a  present  of  one 
in  addition. 

In  the  course  of  the  evening  he  came  to  see  me  at 
my  hut,  and  after  a  long  conversation  took  the  oppor- 
tunity of  informing  me  that  although  his  forefathers 
had  always  been  vassals  of  the  King  of  Portugal,  he 
himself  was  not  so,  inasmuch  as  the  numerous  arbitrary 
acts  committed  by  the  various  c/iefes  against  him  and 
bis  people  had  snapped  asunder  all  the  old  engage- 
ments;  that  the  White  King  no  longer  did  him 
justice ;  and  in  choice  and  even  elegant  terms  he  nar- 
rated many  circumstances  upon  which  he  based  his 
accusations  against  the  chefes. 

The  chefe  was  himself  present  at  the  interview,  and 
had  not  a  word  to  say  in  answer  to  these  accusations 
against  his  predecessors,  so  clearly  were  they  expressed. 

My  host  was  a  man  of  no  common  stamp,  and  he 
conversed  upon  the  policy  of  the  Portuguese  in  Caconda 
with  a  degree  of  judgment  difficult  to  be  met  with  in  a 
provincial  negro. 

I  endeavoured  to  remove  from  his  mind  the  bad 
impression  which  the  chefes  of  Caconda  had  made  upon 
him,  but  I  fear  with  very  little  success.  His  complaints 
still  further  confirmed  an  opinion  I  had  formed  of  the 
unhappy  results  arising  from  the  miserable  stipends 
bestowed  upon  the  chefes  of  the  districts  in  the  interior, 
a  primary  cause  of  the  decline  of  our  power  and  influ- 
ence in  the  country. 

The  native  chief  of  Quipembe  is  well  advanced  in 
years,  and  moreover  suffers  from  the  gout,  which 
makes  locomotion  with  him  a  matter  of  some  difficulty. 

His  village  is  of  vast  size,  well  fortified  and 
capitally  situated.    From  the  moment  of  my  arrival 


TWENTY  DAYS  OF  PROFOUND  ANXIETY. 


85 


troops  of  little  negroes  and  ri egresses  hovered  about 
and  regarded  me  with  the  utmost  surprise,  taking  to 
their  heels  at  the  slightest  movement  I  made.  I 
endeavoured  to  overcome  the  fear  which  my  appearance 
evidently  excited  by  offering  them  presents  of  grelots 
and  coral  beads  ;  it  was  with  reluctance  and  trembling 
that  some  of  the  boldest  approached  near  enough  to 
seize  the  coveted  trinkets,  and  they  started  away 
directly  these  were  secured. 

My  spectacles,  and  more  especially  my  rug,  upon 
which  there  figured  an  enormous  lion  on  a  red 
ground,  appeared  to  be  objects  of  the  greatest  wonder  to 
them. 

On  the  9th  I  quitted  the  village,  travelling  N.E., 
crossed  the  Utapaira  rivulet,  and  an  hour  later  reached 
the  Cuce,  an  affluent  of  the  Quando.  At  this  spot  the 
Cuce  was  found  to  be  10  feet  broad  by  6  feet  deep, 
and  was  difficult  of  passage,  owing  to  the  steepness  of 
its  banks  and  the  muddy  nature  of  its  bed. 

The  ground  on  the  right  bank  presented  a  gentle 
slope  of  no  great  elevation,  whilst  on  the  left  it  was 
level  to  the  extent  of  about  five-eighths  of  a  mile  in 
breadth.  I  passed  to  the  south  of  the  Banja  village, 
magnificently  perched  on  the  summit  of  an  eminence, 
and  after  crossing  three  brooks,  the  Canata  and  Chitando, 
which  run  into  the  Cuce,  and  the  Atuco,  which  flows 
into  the  Quando,  I  arrived  at  the  latter  river,  which 
I  consider  one  of  the  great  affluents  of  the  Cunene. 

The  Quando  runs  southwards,  and  is  here  22  yards' 
wide  by  6  to  10  feet  in  depth. 

At  the  spot  where  I  camped,  by  the  village  of 
Pessenge,  the  river  disappears  beneath  enormous  masses 
of  granite,  to  see  the  light  once  more  nearly  a  mile  lower 
down. 

The  place  presented  one  of  the  most  charming  land- 
scapes I  have  ever  beheld.    The  banks  of  the  river, 


86 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


which  were  somewhat  elevated,  were  covered  with  a 
luxuriant  vegetation,  elegant  palms  springing  from  the 
dark  green  of  gigantic  thorns.  Blackened  rocks  here 
and  there  emerged  from  the  tangled  undergrowth, 
their  exposed  heads  polished  through  the  washing  of 
innumerable  storms. 

Flocks  of  small  birds  twittered  and  chirped  amid  the 
trees ;  numberless  wood-pigeons  darted  in  and  out  the 
bushes ;  and  from  time  to  time  the  grunt  of  the  hippo- 
potamus was  heard  from  the  depths  of  the  river. 

It  was  savage  beauty  in  all  its  power,  but  marred 
by  one  horrible  feature  in  the  shape  of  venomous 
serpents,  with  which  at  almost  every  step  we  were 
brought  into  proximity. 

I  killed  a  few,  the  bites  of  which  the  negroes  assured 
me  were  mortal. 

The  appearance  of  one  or  two  badgers  induced  me 
to  penetrate  the  virgin-wood  on  the  left  bank  of  the 
stream  in  search  of  them,  when  I  came  unexpectedly 
upon  the  ruins  of  a  stone  wall,  which  from  its  extent 
might  well  have  encircled  some  ancient  town. 

This  was  the.  first  occasion  during  my  journey  of  my 
lying  down  at  night  with  only  the  starry  sky  for  a 
canopy,  but  I  did  not  sleep  the  less  soundly  on  that 
account.  I  woke  at  daybreak  in  time  to  assist  at  the 
destruction  of  a  venomous  cobra  found  wriggling  be- 
tween my  bed  and  that  of  Lieutenant  Aguiar. 

At  starting  we  travelled  N.E.  from  the  village  of 
Pessenge,  and  soon  reached  another,  the  Canjongo, 
governed  by  a  petty  chief,  from  whom  we  obtained  a 
few  fowls  in  barter  for  some  common  cloth.  We  sub- 
sequently crossed  the  river  Doroma,  an  affluent  of  the 
Calae,  which  runs  S.E.,  and  rested  for  some  hours  on 
its  left  bank,  when,  resuming  our  march  in  a  N.N.E. 
direction,  we  arrived  at  five  o'clock  in  the  evening  at 
the  great  village  of  Quingolo. 


TWENTY  DAYS   OF  PROFOUND  ANXIETY. 


87 


The  native  chief  received  me  hospitably,  and  at  once 
sent  food  for  my  people. 

Learning  the  motive  of  my  journey,  he  told  me  that 
if  I  had  applied  to  him  at  the  time  he  would  have 
procured  me  carriers,  but  that  the  chefes  of  Caconda 
made  no  account  of  him,  frequently  to  their  own 
detriment.  Even  as  it  was,  however,  he  would  supply 
me  with  forty  men,  whom  he  would  despatch  to 
Caconda,  and  perhaps  I  might  obtain  the  remainder 
in  the  Huambo. 

I  had  here  a  slight  attack  of  fever.  On  the  1 1th, 
at  early  morning,  the  chief  called  on  me  and  renewed 
his  offer  of  the  forty  men,  who  would,  he  assured  me, 
leave  for  Caconda  the  following  day. 

I  was  very  desirous  of  making  some  purchases  of 
food,  but  there  were  no  sellers ;  the  chief,  Caimbo,  on 
learning  this,  sent  me  a  fine  pig.  In  return  I  made 
him  a  present  of  three  pieces  of  striped  cloth  and  a 
couple  of  bottles  of  aguardente. 

Lieutenant  Aguiar  resolved  to  return  to  Caconda,  at 
which  I  was  very  pleased. 

At  midday  the  leaders  of  the  carriers  who  were 
under  orders  to  march  came  to  receive  their  pay. 

The  great  village  of  Quingolo  is  situated  upon  a 
granite  mount  which  overlooks  an  enormous  plain. 
From  between  the  rocks  spring  huge  sycamores, 
which  lend  the  place  a  constant  and  agreeable  fresh- 
ness. These  same  rocks,  combined  with  the  stockades, 
make  a  formidable  defence  against  attack,  and  the 
place  is  rendered  stronger  by  a  fosse  that  runs  round  it, 
though  it  is  half  choked  up.  On  the  very  summit  of 
the  mount  are  two  gigantic  cliffs  that  form  a  kind  of 
observatory,  from  which  I  saw  spread  before  me  one  of 
the  most  surprising  panoramas  I  have  ever  beheld. 

Of  a  similar  character  to  the  prospect  from  the  lofty 
cross  of  Bussaco,  if  the  forest,  instead  of  being  confined 


88 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


within  the  narrow  belt  of  walls,  extended  from  Capes 
Carvoeiro  and  Mondego  to  the  sea-coast,  scarcely  inter- 
rupted here  and  there  by  verdant  glades — the  land- 
scape visible  from  the  summit  of  Quingolo  is  vaster  and 
more  grandiose,  its  only  boundaries  being  the  azure 
outline  of  distant  mountains,  which  are  too  remote  to 
be  distinctly  visible. 

On  the  12th,  although  my  fever  had  increased,  I 
decided  upon  leaving,  and  having  exchanged  the  most 
cordial  adieux  with  the  native  chief  and  Lieutenant 
Aguiar,  I  resumed  my  journey  at  8.30  a.m.,  accompanied 
by  three  guides  furnished  me  by  Caimbo,  with  whom  I 
parted  on  the  best  terms  of  friendship. 

Shortly  after  starting  I  passed  the  Luvubo  rivulet, 
which  runs  into  the  Calae,  and  at  ten  o'clock  reached 
the  village  of  the  petty  chief  of  Palanca,  of  whom  I 
solicited  shelter,  as  it  was  impossible  for  me  to  proceed 
with  the  fever  increasing  on  me  every  moment. 

Notwithstanding  the  state  of  my  health,  I  made  some 
astronomical  observations,  in  order  to  determine  my 
position,  and  I  mention  the  circumstance  here  as  it  was 
the  first  of  that  series  of  points  which  I  intended  to  fix 
in  my  passage  across  Africa. 

This  hamlet  of  Palanca  was  therefore  the  very  first 
point  I  laid  down  on  the  line  which  marks  my  journey 
from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Indian  Ocean. 

Three  grammes  of  quinine  which  I  took  during  the 
intermission  of  the  fever  produced  a  rapid  improvement, 
so  that  I  was  enabled  to  go  on  the  following  day. 

I  rode  a-straddle  on  a  powerful  ox,  and  kept  another 
in  reserve.  These  animals  were  well  broken  in,  and 
made  my  progress  easy  ;  I  was  able  to  get  a  very  decent 
trot  out  of  them,  and  even  occasionally  a  short  gallop. 

I  started  at  nearly  eight  o'clock,  and  shortly  after 
crossed  the  river  Doro  das  Mulheres,  the  oxen  finding 
it  difficult  work  on  account  of  the  muddy  bottom. 


TWENTY  DAYS  OF  PROFOUND  ANXIETY. 


89 


The  heat  was  intense,  and  I  began  to  feel  extremely 
ill,  so  that  I  called  a  halt  in  order  to  get  a  little  rest. 

There  were  no  trees  near  the  place,  and  I  fell  asleep 
upon  the  baked  earth,  under  a  burning  sun  ;  my 
slumbers  were  of  the  shortest,  and  on  awaking  I  had  a 
sensation  of  freshness,  and  observed  that  there  was 
shade.  It  was  caused  by  the  thoughtful ness  of  my 
attendants,  who  were  standing  around  me  and  shelter- 
ing my  recumbent  body  from  the  ardent  rays  of  a 
vertical  sun.  I  was  touched  by  such  a  proof  of  kindly 
care. 

I  again  went  on,  passing  a  little  river,  the  Doro  dos 
hoinens,  which  unites  with  the  former  and  subsequently 
runs  into  the  Calae,  under  I  know  not  what  name. 
Two  hours  later  I  fell  in  with  the  river  Gandoassiva, 
which  is  nearly  6  yards  broad  by  3  feet  6  inches 
deep,  on  the  banks  of  which  I  took  a  rest.  It  is 
an  affluent  of  the  Calae,  and  abounds  in  small  fish,  a 
good  many  of  which  we  succeeded  in  catching.  My 
indisposition  weighed  heavily  upon  me  ;  extreme  weak- 
ness was  now  added  to  the  fever  that  had  reappeared, 
the  former  caused  through  inefficient  nourishment,  as 
I  had  only  taken  during  the  last  two  days  a  little 
chicken  broth. 

I  took  advantage  of  the  halt  to  get  some  good  broth 
made,  but  it  was  without  salt,  as  the  small  provision  of 
that  article  I  had  brought  from  Caconda  was  com- 
pletely exhausted. 

After  a  couple  of  hours'  rest,  we  moved  onward,  still 
towards  the  N.E.,  and  half  an  hour  afterwards  crossed 
the  river  Cuena,  which  at  that  place  was  yards 
broad  and  nearly  4  feet  deep,  and  was  on  its  way  to 
empty  itself  into  the  Calae. 

The  Cuena  flows  between  the  gentle  slopes  of  lofty 
hills,  but  has  dug  for  itself  a  deep  bed,  with  perpendi- 
cular   sides,    some   7  feet   above   the  water,  which 


90 


TEE  KING'S  BIFLE. 


made  it  difficult  for  the  oxen  to  get  across  the  stream 
in  safety. 

The  passage  cost  us  two  hours'  hard  labour.  A 
couple  of  hours  later,  it  being  then  nightfall,  I 
reached  the  village  of  Capoco,  the  powerful  son  of 
the  native  chief  of  the  Huambo  country. 

Capoco  received  me  very  kindly,  gave  me  his  own 
house  for  my  use,  presented  me  at  once  with  a  large 
pig,  and,  learning  that  I  was  ill,  sent  me  a  couple  of 
fowls. 

I  had  some  talk  with  him  about  carriers,  whom  he 
promised  to  supply. 

I  made  him  a  present  of  two  pieces  of  striped  cloth 
and  a  couple  of  bottles  of  aguardente.  Shortly  after,  a 
numerous  troop  of  virgins,  recognisable  by  their 
bangles  of  bent  wood  worn  upon  the  ankles,  brought 
my  negroes  abundant  food  in  wicker  baskets.  After 
taking  some  lunar  altitudes,  I  lay  down  to  rest  in  a 
happy  mood,  notwithstanding  my  indisposition,  at 
seeing  my  excursion  so  far  crowned  with  success. 

On  the  following  day  my  companions  were  to  join 
me,  and  with  them  I  should  have  not  only  the  society 
of  dear  friends  and  compatriots,  but  the  resources  which 
had  now  utterly  failed  me,  and  of  which  I  stood  in 
such  sore  need. 

I  fell  asleep,  therefore,  smiling,  nor  did  any  ugly 
dream  disturb  my  slumbers !  And  yet  I  was  on  the  eve 
of  a  severe  trial — a  racking  anxiety  that  was  to  endure 
for  twenty  days. 

On  the  14th  I  repaired  to  the  habitation  of  the  father 
of  Capoco,  the  native  chief  of  the  Huambo  territory. 
The  village  of  this  chief,  whose  name  is  Bilombo, 
is  some  2  miles  distant  from  that  of  his  son,  and  is 
situated  on  the  left  bank  of  the  river  Calae. 

Bilombo,  who  was  expecting  me,  appeared  surrounded 
by  his  people,  and  superbly  arrayed  in  a  scarlet  tunic, 


TWENTY  DAYS  OF  PROFOUND  ANXIETY.  91 


with  a  chasseur's  cap  set  jauntily  upon  his  head.  I 
handed  to  him  my  present,  which  consisted  of  three 
pieces  of  ordinary  striped  calico  and  two  hottles  of 
aguardente,  at  which  he  seemed  much  gratified.  He 
expressed  great  surprise  at  the  sight  of  my  Winchester 
rifle,  and  requested  me  to  fire  it  off.  His  astonishment 
was  very  great  at  beholding  me  hit  a  small  mark  at 
230  yards,  and  it  knew  no  bounds  when  I  broke  an 
egg  at  sixty  paces. 

This  chief  at  one  time  held  sway  over  the  entire 
country  of  the  Huambo,  but  his  power  is  now  con- 
siderably reduced.  His  story  may  be  told  in  a  few 
brief  sentences. 

He  had  married  a  daughter  of  the  chief  of  the  Bihe, 
which  lady  contracted  criminal  relations  with  one  of 
his  sub-chiefs.  The  guilty  couple  managed,  however, 
for  some  time  to  conceal  their  amours  from  the  dusky 
king.  It  happened  that  a  misunderstanding  occurred 
between  Bilombo  and  a  neighbouring  chief,  which 
resulted  in  a  declaration  of  war.  Bilombo  assumed  the 
command  of  his  army  and  departed,  leaving  the  govern- 
ment during  his  absence  in  the  charge  of  the  very 
lover  of  his  wife's.  The  two  conspired  against  the 
absent  monarch,  and  Capussociisso,  for  that  was  the 
traitor's  name,  caused  himself  to  be  proclaimed  king. 
Bilombo  was  compelled  to  yield,  and  retired  to  this 
part  of  the  country,  beyond  the  Calae,  where  the  people 
still  remained  faithful  to  him,  and  at  the  period  of  my 
journey,  as  he  informed  me,  he  was  preparing  to  take 
a  terrible  vengeance  on  the  adultress  and  her  lover. 

On  my  return  to  Capoco's  house,  I  dismissed  the 
three  guides  who  had  accompanied  me  from  Quingolo, 
and  sent  letters  by  them  to  Capello  and  Ivens,  inform- 
ing those  friends  that  I  was  anxiously  awaiting  them, 
and  bidding  them  not  to  part  from  their  loads,  as  the 
state  of  the  country  was  anything  but  secure. 


92 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


In  the  course  of  the  evening  I  took  a  stroll  along 
the  banks  of  the  Calae,  and  was  surprised  at  the 
quantity  of  game  I  fell  in  with  ;  in  fact,  I  had  never 
seen  so  much  together  before,  but  I  killed  nothing, 
being  unprepared  for  such  a  sight. 

The  chief  Bilombo  sent  me  a  present  of  maize  flour 
and  a  fine  ox,  a  most  valuable  gift,  and  the  more 
treasured  as  oxen  were  rare  in  that  part  of  the 
country. 

The  carriers  were  busy  laying  in  their  stock  of 
provisions,  with  a  view  to  starting  next  day  for  Caconda, 
and  I  was  in  the  act  of  writing  to  my  friends,  when 
three  porters  arrived  from  the  native  chief  of  Quingolo, 
with  letters  from  them  and  a  basket  containing  salt  and 
a  little  bag  of  rice. 

I  opened  the  letters  in  all  haste.  Two  of  them  were 
official  and  one  was  private,  all  signed  by  Capello  and 
Ivens.  They  informed  me  that  they  had  resolved  to 
go  on  alone,  and  that,  in  respect  of  the  forty  carriers 
despatched  by  me  from  Quingolo,  they  sent  me  forty 
loads  accompanied  by  the  guide  Barros,  in  order  that  I 
might  convey  them  to  the  Bihe. 

It  was  only  their  imperfect  knowledge  or  utter 
ignorance  of  the  interior  of  Africa  which  could  excuse 
my  friends  in  acting  in  so  strange  a  manner.  I  was  at 
that  time  in  a  hostile  country,  and  if  I  had  been 
respected  hitherto  it  was  only  because  the  people  round 
me  looked  upon  me  and  my  little  band  as  the  vanguard 
of  a  considerable  troop  under  the  command  of  the 
friends  in  my  rear,  and  the  fear  of  reprisals  had,  up  to 
that  moment,  restrained  the  natural  rapacity  of  the 
natives.  I  was  in  the  very  district  where  Silva  Porto, 
the  old  trader,  who  was  accustomed  to  traverse  with 
impunity  the  remotest  tracts  of  country,  had  frequently 
to  fight  his  way  through  hordes  of  savages  eager  after 
plunder. 


TWENTY  DAYS  OF  PROFOUND  ANXIETY.  93 


What  would  be  my  fate  if  it  were  known  that  my 
entire  force  consisted  but  of  ten  men  ? 

I  looked  my  position  fairly  in  the  face,  and  found  it 
replete  with  difficulties. 

Capello  and  Ivens  must  have  been  deceived  by  some 
false  counsellor,  for  of  a  certainty  their  loyalty  would 
never  have  allowed  them,  knowingly,  to  abandon  me 
in  so  terrible  a  position. 

Still  what  was  to  be  done  ?  In  three  days  I  might 
reach  Caconda  and  thence  turn  back  to  Benguella. 
On  the  other  hand  I  had  before  me  a  journey  of  twenty 
days  to  the  Bihe,  a  journey  wherein  I  should  have  day 
by  day,  nay  almost  hour  by  hour,  to  risk  both  life  and 
property.    What  should  I  decide  ? 

The  night  of  the  17th  of  February  was  passed  in 
an  indescribable  state  of  feverish  agitation. 

Should  I  push  on  ?  Had  I  a  right  to  jeopardise  the 
lives  of  the  ten  men  who  w^ere  now  sleeping  so  tranquilly 
around  me  ?  Had  I  a  right  to  risk  my  own  life 
in  so  imprudent  a  venture  ?  Should  I  return  to 
Benguella  ? 

Who  in  Europe  can  estimate  the  almost  insuperable 
character  of  the  obstacles  thus  raised  to  my  passage, 
and  which  placed  me  in  so  dire  an  uncertainty  ?  Surely 
none,  unless  it  be  a  brother  explorer  who  has  been  as 
unhappily  situated  as  I  then  wTas. 

The  night  was  a  fearful  one ;  for  the  fever  assisted 
to  worry  my  brain,  and  care  and  anxiety  rapidly  in- 
creased the  fever.  Daybreak  of  the  18th  found  me 
astir,  and  there  were  moments  when  a  phrase  forced 
itself  upon  my  mind  and  I  found  myself  mechanically 
giving  it  utterance. 

Audacia  fortuna  jurat.  It  was  the  watchword  of  the 
old  Romans ;  it  is  the  law  which  from  time  immemorial 
has  dictated  the  actions  of  adventurers. 


94 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


My  resolution  was  taken.  I  would  go  on.  I  had 
not  penetrated  into  Africa  merely  to  visit  the  Nano 
country,  however  interesting  it  might  be,  especially  to 
us  Portuguese. 

I  aroused  my  men.  I  put  before  them  in  few  words 
the  precarious  position  in  which  we  stood,  and  my  de- 
termination to  go  forward  to  the  Bihe'.  They  one  and 
all  assured  me  of  their  devotion  and  their  resolve  to 
stand  by  me  to  the  last. 

Of  these  ten  men,  three,  viz.  Yerissimo  Groncalves, 
Augusto,  and  Camutombo,  got  back  to  Lisbon  after 
traversing  Africa  with  me ;  four  followed  Capello  and 
Ivens  by  my  orders  from  the  Bihe ;  one,  a  negro, 
Cossusso,  went  off  his  head  at  the  Quanza  and  was 
entrusted  to  the  care  of  Silva  Porto  Domingos  Chaca- 
hanga,  and  the  two  remaining,  Manuel  and  Catraio- 
grande,  fell  at  my  feet,  pierced  through  by  the  assegais 
of  the  Luinas  ;  for,  faithful  to  their  promise  made  on 
that  eventful  day,  they  died  in  my  defence  while  I  was 
myself  defending  the  national  colours. 

But  at  the  time  the  events  I  am  narrating  occurred 
I  knew  but  little  of  my  followers,  nor  indeed  had 
occasion  yet  offered  to  test  their  valour. 

I  was  still  an  inmate  of  Capoco's  house,  and  hitherto 
he  had  been  lavish  of  his  favours  ;  but  Capoco  was 
celebrated  far  and  near  as  the  freebooter  of  the  Nano 
country,  who  only  a  year  before  had  extended  his 
depredations  even  as  far  as  Quillengues,  which  he  had 
attacked.  What  then  was  likely  to  be  his  behaviour 
when  he  came  to  know  of  my  weakness  ? 

Upon  him  depended  the  success  of  my  enterprise. 
Capoco  was  a  man  of  some  four-and-twenty  years,  of 
attractive  appearance  and  agreeable  manners.  Often 
had  Yerissimo  Goncalves  observed  that  it  seemed 
impossible  he  could  be  the  man  whose  name  was  a 
terror  to  the  country   round,  and  whose  footsteps, 


TWENTY  BAYS  OF  PROFOUND  ANXIETY. 


95 


wherever  he  wandered,  were  marked  by  devastation 
and  death.  Among  his  female  slaves  Verissimo  knew 
several  girls  who  had  been  stolen  from  Quillengues 
during  the  attack  of  the  previous  year.  There  was  one 
of  them  with  whom  I  had  myself  conversed,  the 
daughter  of  a  Quillengues  chief,  and  for  whom  Capoco 
demanded  a  heavy  ransom. 

Capoco  was  a  man  of  intelligence,  most  moderate  in 
both  eating  and  drinking,  and  although  in  possession  of 
a  large  number  of  female  slaves,  had  a  very  limited 
harem. 

Amid  the  barbarism  in  which  he  lived  and  the 
looseness  of  his  principles,  he  was  not  wanting  in  a  cer- 
tain nobility  of  feeling.  For  instance,  I  observed  that 
the  young  slave  above  referred  to,  a  handsome  and 
even  elegant  girl,  wore  upon  her  ankles  the  wooden 
bangles  which  were  an  infallible  sign  of  virginity; 
and  in  my  surprise  at  the  circumstance,  considering 
her  surroundings,  I  ventured  to  ask  Capoco  how  it  was 
he  had  not  made  her  his  own.  "  I  cannot  do  it,"  was 
his  reply  ;  "  she  is  my  slave  by  right  of  war,  but  so 
long  as  her  father  shows  a  disposition  to  ransom  her 
I  must  respect  her,  and  she  shall  be  respected,  for  I 
intend  to  deliver  her  up  in  the  same  state  in  which  I 
took  her." 

One  morning  Capoco,  in  talking  to  me,  observed 
that  as  Benguella  lay  over  there  (pointing  to  the 
west),  the  sun  must  pass  the  Huambo  before  it  reached 
Benguella.  I  answered  that  it  was  quite  true,  where- 
upon he  wished  to  know  how  long  it  was,  after  it  was 
born  in  his  country,  that  it  rose  upon  Lisbon.  I  tried 
to  make  him  understand  an  hour  and  a  half,  and 
explained  to  him  the  time  that  it  would  take  for  a  man 
to  traverse  the  distance.  This  excited  his  surprise,  for, 
as  he  told  me,  he  thought  our  country  was  very  much 
farther  off. 


96 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


'  The  customs  of  the  people  of  the  Nano  and  Huambo 
countries  are  similar  to  those  prevailing  at  Quillengues, 
and  they  all  talk  the  same  language.  They  work  in 
iron,  of  which  they  make  their  arrows,  assegais,  and 
axes,  but  not  their  spades,  which  come  from  the  north. 

As  I  have  already  incidentally  mentioned,  the  girls, 
so  long  as  they  remain  virgins,  wear  upon  both  ankles, 
or  upon  the  left  ankle  only,  certain  wooden  bangles, 
and  it  is  considered  a  great  crime  if  any  family  should 
allow  its  daughters  to  use  such  distinctive  mark  if  they 
have  lost  their  title  to  wear  it. 

One  custom  among  these  people  struck  me  as  very 


Fig.  4. — Man  and  Woman  of  tub  Huambo. 


curious,  viz.  the  existence  in  every  village  of  a  kind  of 
temple  for  conversation. 

This  retreat  is  in  the  shape  of  a  huge  vat,  but  the  ribs 
which  support  the  thatched  roof  are  placed  a  good 
distance  apart.  In  the  centre,  the  hearth  is  blazing — 
for  the  Africans  dearly  love  a  fire — and  most  of  the 
inhabitants  of  the  place,  in  turn,  sit  around  it  on 
wooden  blocks.  It  is  the  general  meeting-place,  more 
especially  when  it  rains.  There  one  may  listen  to 
stirring  episodes  of  war  or  the  chase ;  love  stories  are 
not  wanting,  nor  is  there  a  greater  lack  than  in  Europe 
of  tales  of  wayward  lives. 

In  the  country  of  the  Huambo,  and  on  the  west  coast 


TWENTY  BAYS  OF  PROFOUND  ANXIETY. 


97 


thereof,  begins  the  extraordinary  luxury  of  hairdressing, 
both  men  and  women  being  remarkable  for  the  style  in 
which  they  wear  their  hair  ;  indeed  I  have  seen  some 
heads  that  it  would  puzzle  the  utmost  ingenuity  of 
European  hairdressers  to  imitate.  Many  of  these 
triumphs  of  the  barber's  art  take  two  or  three  days  to 
build  up,  but  on  the  other  hand  they  last  as  many 
months. 

The  women's  hair  is  profusely  adorned  with  glass 
beads,  which  in  the  trade  are  known  in  Benguella 
under  the  name  of  white  or  red  coral,  and  the  article  is, 
of  course,  greatly  sought  after  in  the  country.  I  un- 
fortunately had  none  of  them  with  me. 

Gunpowder,  firearms,  and  table  salt  are  likewise  in 
much  request  ;  but  these  also  I  lacked,  at  least  in 
sufficient  quantity  to  part  with  them ;  and  this  only 
tended  the  more  to  make  my  position  embarrassing. 

I  at  length  sought  out  Capoco  and  told  him  that  my 
companions  had  proceeded  by  the  way  of  Galangue  ; 
that  only  fifty  loads  would  come  on,  thus  reducing  the 
number  of  men  I  re  jiiired  to  forty,  and  that  I  should 
want  them  only  as  far  as  the  Bihe. 

On  this  account  we  discharged  the  eighty  carriers 
who  by  that  time  were  assembled  in  readiness  to  start, 
and  who  disbanded  with  many  signs  of  discontent. 
Capoco  promised  that  I  should  have  the  forty  I  wanted 
for  the  Bihe  ;  and  on  that  same  day  the  negro  Barros 
arrived  with  the  forty  loads,  and  another  letter  from  my 
companions  confirming  the  contents  of  the  first. 

From  this  last  epistle  I  further  learned  that  they  had 
left  Caconda  for  the  Bihe,  accompanied  by  the  ex-chef e, 
Ensign  Castro,  and  the  banished  Domingos,  who  had 
demonstrated  to  me  the  impossibility  of  obtaining  men 
at  Caconda  and  yet  managed  to  get  them  himself  the 
very  day  I  left  the  place. 

It  was  to  these  last  two,  in  all  probability,  that  I  owed 

VOL.  I.  H 


98 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


the  critical  position  in  which  I  was  now  placed,  for  my 
companions,  but  little  acquainted  with  Africa,  and  not 
at  all  with  the  part  of  the  country  in  which  they  were, 
could  not  estimate  the  difficulties  which  their  mode  of 
proceeding  had  caused  me,  although  the  others  must 
have  known  them  full  well.  I  do  not  of  course  accuse 
even  them  of  a  crime,  but  I  cannot  do  less  than  charge 
them  with  great  indiscretion. 

I  do  not  wish  them  any  ill,  for  I  wish  ill  to  no  man, 
and  when,  a  month  after  the  occurrence  of  the  events  I 
am  now  recording, — while  still  suffering  from  the  dangers 
I  had  managed  to  escape,  and  lying  prostrate  on  my 
bed,  to  which  I  was  confined  as  with  iron  bands  by  the 
sickness  following  on  the  twenty  days  of  cruel  anxiety 
of  which  they  were  the  cause, — I  saw  them,  half  famished 
and  entirely  resourceless,  stagger  into  the  house  of 
Silva  Porto,  which  I  then  occupied  at  the  Bihe,  I  freely 
forgave  them  all  the  evil  they  had  done  me,  and  only 
remembering  that  one  of  them  was  deprived  of  the 
rights  of  citizenship  by  a  sentence  which  stamped  him 
with  infamy,  I  divided  with  them  the  scanty  provisions 
that  were  left  me,  and  provided  them  with  the  means  of 
returning  with  comparative  comfort  to  Caconda.  It 
may  be  that  I  saw  in  them  not  merely  two  white  men, 
two  Portuguese  all  but  lost  in  the  remote  district  of  the 
Bihe,  but  men  who  helped  to  raise  me  in  my  own 
opinion ;  who,  by  exposing  me  during  those  twenty 
dreadful  days  to  the  numerous  dangers  which  I  encoun- 
tered and  overcame,  tempered  my  soul  to  greater 
enterprise.  Be  this  as  it  may,  I  owed  to  them  the 
increased  trust  I  felt  in  Providence  and  in  myself,  and 
in  sharing  with  them  the  little  that  I  had,  I  considered 
that  I  was  paying  a  debt  of  gratitude,  and  rejoiced  to 
think  that  I  had  not  allowed  my  sufferings  to  become  a 
motive  for  reprisals. 


TWENTY  BAYS  OF  PROFOUND  ANXIETY. 


99 


Let  me,  however,  not  anticipate  facts,  but  resume  the 
regular  course  of  my  narrative. 

Capoco  called  upon  me  to  say  that  on  the  following 
morning  I  should  have  the  forty  men  I  wanted,  but  to 
the  Sambo  country  only,  as  they  refused  to  go  beyond 
it,  owing  to  the  way  in  which  I  had  dismissed  the 
previous  eighty,  who  had  been  in  readiness  to  start  for 
Caconda  and  the  Bihe.  Besides  this,  they  demanded 
much  higher  pay,  for  whilst  I  had  contracted  for  ten 
pieces  of  cloth  from  Caconda  to  the  Bihe,  the  fresh  men 
insisted  upon  eight  pieces  from  the  Huambo  to  the 
Sambo.  My  desire  to  get  away  was,  however,  so  great 
that  I  thought  it  prudent  to  yield. 

On  the  following  morning  the  forty  men  assembled 
according  to  promise ;  but  a  new  difficulty  at  once 
arose.  When  at  Caconda  we  were  bamboozled  by 
Bandeira,  Ivens  had  extracted  from  all  the  assorted 
loads  the  white  calico  they  contained,  because  the 
negroes  we  expected  through  Bandeira  would  not 
accept  payment  in  any  other  shape.  I  had  forgotten 
the  circumstance  until,  on  undoing  two  of  the  assorted 
bales,  I  found  that  they  did  not  contain  a  single  piece 
of  white  stuff.  Capoco's  people  at  once  declared  that 
they  wanted  white  calico,  and  nothing  but  white  calico, 
and  that  not  one  load  would  they  lift  until  they  got  it. 

They  refused  to  have  anything  to  say  to  the  striped, 
and  were  actually  preparing  to  leave  me,  when  Capoco 
himself  appeared,  and  managed,  though  not  without 
difficulty,  to  persuade  them  to  take  half  in  striped  and 
the  other  half  in  blue. 

I  saw  them  off  at  about  ten  o'clock,  accompanied  by 
Barros,  the  guide,  but  they  were  thoroughly  discon- 
tented and  grumbling.  I  was  myself  to  follow  them  in 
about  an  hour's  time,  but  had  so  sudden  and  violent 
an  attack  of  fever  that  I  was  compelled  to  delay  my 
journey. 

h  2 


100 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


Since  the  evening  before  it  bad  been  raining  in 
torrents  and  the  night  was  specially  tempestuous. 

The  fever  began  to  abate  about  four  in  the  afternoon, 
and  the  rain  had,  by  that  time,  held  up.  At  five 
precisely  I  strolled  out  of  the  place  in  the  direction  of 
a  neighbouring  wood,  but  my  steps  were  uncertain  and 
I  had  to  lean  heavily  on  my  staff. 

Always  liking  to  be  ready  for  an  emergency,  I  had 
told  my  young  negro  Pepeca,  who  was  in  attendance 
upon  me,  not  to  forget  to  bring  one  of  my  rifles.  It 
was  fortunate  I  did  so,  for  we  had  no  sooner  entered 
the  wood  than  an  enormous  buffalo  sprang  up  within 
twenty  paces  of  us,  and  looking  at  me  with  fiery  eyes, 
snorted  violently. 

I  took  the  gun  from  mv  attendant's  hand,  but  to 
my  alarm  and  disgust  saw  that,  instead  of  a  rifle,  he 
had  only  brought  with  him  a  common  fowling-piece 
charged  with  shot  !  I  felt  that  it  was  all  over  with 
me,  and  that  death,  as  inevitable  as  it  was  ignominious, 
was  travelling  towards  me  in  the  shape  of  yon  fero- 
cious beast  which  was  heralding  his  attack  with  a  low 
roar. 

My  thoughts  flew  towards  Heaven,  my  wife  and 
my  daughter.  Meanwhile  the  creature  was  advancing 
by  leaps,  in  that  irregular  way  these  animals  use  in 
making  their  attacks.  At  a  distance  of  about  eight 
paces  I  gave  him  the  first  charge  of  shot.  It  stopped 
him  for  perhaps  half  a  second,  and  on  he  came  again 
more  madly  than  before.  When  I  fired  the  second 
barrel  the  muzzle  of  the  gun  almost  touched  the  beast's 
head,  and  the  instant  I  had  done  so  I  leaped  nimbly 
aside.  The  buffalo  turned  neither  to  the  right  nor  left, 
but  continuing  his  wild  career,  disappeared  in  the 
thicket.  Pepeca  laughed  fit  to  split  his  sides  and, 
apparently  unconscious  of  the  peril  in  which  we  had 
stood,  clapped  his  hands  when  he  recovered  breath,  and 


TWENTY  DAYS  OF  PBOFOUND  ANXIETY. 


101 


exclaimed,  "  The  bull  has  run  away !  how  we  must 
have  frightened  him  !  " 

I  lost  no  lime  in  returning  to  Capoco's  house  after 
this  adventure  and  passed  the  night  in  comparative 
ease.  Before  I  lay  down  I  wanted  to  write,  and  was 
therefore  compelled  to  improvise  a  lamp,  which  I  made 
by  sticking  some  cotton  by  way  of  wick  into  an  old 
sardine  box  containing  pig's  lard. 

It  w^as  on  the  morning  of  the  21st  February  that  I 
took  leave  of  Capoco,  and  with  the  fever  still  upon  me 
wended  my  way  towards  the  Sambo  territory.  Before 
I  reached  the  Calae  I  received  a  note  from  the  guide 
Barros  informing  me  that  during  the  night  the  carriers 
had  all  fled,  leaving  their  loads  in  the  village  of  the 
petty  chief  Quimbungo,  the  brother  of  the  chief  or  native 
king  Bilombo. 

I  turned  back  and  sought  an  interview  with  Capoco, 
to  w7hom  I  related  what  had  occurred.  He  advised  me 
to  go  on  to  his  uncle's  settlement  and  that  he  would 
remedy  the  mischief.  I  therefore  again  proceeded,  and 
shortly  after  crossed  the  Calae,  which  runs  N.  and  S. 
to  the  Cunene,  it  being  at  this  spot  33  yards  wide  by  3 
feet  2  inches  deep,  with  a  violent  current. 

It  flows  through  vast  plains,  slightly  undulated  and 
clothed  with  gramineous  plants,  among  which  rises, 
here  and  there,  a  solitary  dragon-tree.  The  soil  is 
of  animal  formation,  the  whole  of  the  ground  being 
covered,  or,  more  correctly  speaking,  covering  an  infinite 
world  of  white  ants. 

A  bridge,  roughly  thrown  together  and  composed  of 
the  trunks  of  trees,  unites  the  two  banks  of  the  river. 
Some  110  yards  above  the  bridge  the  Calae  receives  an 
important  affluent,  the  Cucuce,  which  contributes  a 
volume  of  water  as  great  as  its  own.  I  marched  N.E. 
and  at  ten  o'clock  passed  close  to  the  village  of  the  petty 
chief  Chacaquimbamba,  at  the  entrance  of  which  there 


102 


TEE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


was  a  large  assembly  of  people.  I  went  by  without 
their  saying  a  word,  but  had  not  gone  more  than  50 
yards  than  I  heard  a  great  noise  from  the  direction  of 
the  settlement.  At  the  same  moment  Verissimo  came 
running  up  to  me  with  the  intelligence  that  one  of  our 
own  carriers  was  the  innocent  cause  of  the  commotion. 

I  turned  back  and  found  the  negro  Jamba,  on  whom 
devolved  the  duty  of  carrying  my  trunk,  in  a  great 
state  of  excitement  owing  to  the  natives  having  stolen 
his  gun — a  feat  which  they  performed  the  more  readily 
as,  apprehensive  of  dropping  his  load,  which  he  knew 
contained  the  chronometers  and  other  delicate  instru- 
ments, he  made  but  a  feeble  resistance. 

Besides  the  firearm,  they  had  carried  off  to  the 
village  a  she-goat  and  a  sheep,  a  present  from  Capoco. 
I  gave  them  to  understand  that  they  must  restore  what 
had  been  stolen,  but  I  got  nothing  but  murmurs  of  a 
threatening  sound  in  reply. 

I  made  a  rapid  survey  of  my  position,  and  did  not 
feel  particularly  comforted  by  the  reflection  that  my 
party  consisted  of  ten  men,  opposed  to  upwards  of  200. 

Urged,  however,  by  a  sudden  impulse,  and  putting 
aside  the  dictates  of  prudence  and  common  sense,  I 
determined  to  test  the  mettle  of  those  ten  men,  who 
were  destined  to  be  my  comrades  in  even  greater 
dangers.  Moving,  therefore,  towards  the  entrance  of 
the  village,  I  cocked  my  revolver,  and  ordered  them 
to  enter  and  regain  possession  of  our  property.  My 
Benguella  negro,  Manuel,  a  young  man  of  whom  I  had 
never  previously  made  any  account,  became,  as  it  were, 
another  being,  and  cocking  his  gun  led  the  way  at  a 
trot  into  the  village.  He  was  at  once  followed  by 
Augusto,  Yerissimo  and  Catraiogrande,  and  a  moment 
after  by  the  rest  of  my  troop,  leaving  me  alone  to  stand 
the  brunt  and  become  perhaps  the  victim  of  the  fury  of 
the  populace.    The  audacity,  however,  of  our  proceed- 


TWENTY  DAYS  OF  PROFOUND  ANXIETY .  103 


ing  in  all  probability  saved  it  from  failure,  and 
when  Verissimo  marched  out  from  the  place  in  triumph 
with  the  goat,  and  Augusto  with  the  sheep,  covered  by 
their  companions  with  their  guns  ready  for  use,  the 
natives  retired  to  a  more  convenient  distance,  and 
offered  no  opposition  to  our  movements. 

We,  however,  lost  the  gun — easier  of  concealment 
than  the  animals,  it  was  hidden  securely  away  ;  nor  did 
a  second  search,  which  the  success  attending  the  first 
emboldened  us  to  make,  bring  the  missing  article  to 
light. 

My  negroes,  heartened  by  the  indecision  of  the  na- 
tives, now  became  loud  and  warm  in  their  desire  for 
vengeance,  and  I  had  to  exercise  all  my  authority  to 
prevent  them  opening  fire  on  the  groups  that  were 
watching  us.  I  succeeded  in  calming  them  at  last  by 
a  promise  of  speedy  and  complete  satisfaction  at  the 
hands  of  Capoco,  in  whom,  to  tell  the  truth,  I  began 
to  feel  a  certain  confidence. 

This  adventure  detained  us  upwards  of  an  hour,  so 
that  it  was  not  till  1.30  p.m.  that  we  crossed  the  Poe, 
an  affluent  of  the  Calae,  which  is  five-and-a-half  yards 
wide  by  nearly  four  feet  deep  ;  the  bottom  being  soft 
and  muddy  rendered  it  difficult  to  ford. 

At  three  o'clock  we  reached  the  village  of  the  petty 
chief  Quimbungo,  brother  of  the  native  king  of  the 
Huambo,  where  we  found  the  negro  Barros  in  charge 
of  the  abandoned  loads.  Quimbungo  received  me  very 
cordially  and  promised  to  furnish  me  with  carriers  to 
the  Sambo  country.  On  learning  also  of  our  adventure 
of  the  morning,  he  begged  me  not  to  let  my  anger  fall 
upon  Chacaquimbamba,  and  he  would  take  care  that 
the  stolen  gun  was  restored  and  full  satisfaction  given 
for  the  insult.  About  six  in  the  evening  Capoco 
arrived,  bringing  with  him  several  of  the  porters  who 
had  fled,  and  the  goods  which  had  been  given  to  the 


104 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


others  by  way  of  advance  of  pay.  He  further  told  me 
that  on  the  morrow  the  gun  should  be  brought  back 
and  the  chief  of  the  little  village  be  placed  at  my 
disposal,  that  I  might  inflict  upon  him  such  chastise- 
ment as  I  thought  proper.  And  more  than  this,  he 
assured  me  that  I  need  no  longer  fear  the  flight  of  any 
of  the  carriers,  as  he  himself  or  his  uncle  would  accom- 
pany me  as  far  as  the  Sambo. 

I  retired  to  rest  burning  with  fever,  and  passed  a 
horrible  night. 

On  the  following  day  a  lot  more  carriers  were  got 
together,  but  still  not  enough  for  our  purpose. 

Capoco  started  at  daybreak  for  Chacaquimbamba's 
place,  and  at  mid-day  returned  with  the  stolen  gun 
and  that  chief  himself,  to  whom  I  graciously  extended 
full  pardon  for  the  offence  of  his  people.  The  delinquent 
was  profuse  in  his  expressions  of  gratitude  and — what 
was  even  more  satisfactory — presented  me  with  a 
couple  of  splendid  sheep. 

This  done,  Capoco,  the  renowned  and  ferocious  chief, 
the  terror  of  the  neighbouring  countries,  whom  I  had 
succeeded  in  so  completely  winning  to  my  service  that 
he  had  heaped  me  with  favours,  took  his  leave,  and 
recommending  me  warmly  to  his  uncle,  quietly  returned 
to  his  own  residence. 

As  evening  fell,  a  frightful  tempest  broke  over  our 
encampment.  Torrents  of  rain  descended  amid  constant 
crashes  of  thunder,  and  forked  lightning  darted  perpen- 
dicularly into  the  earth  all  around  us.  My  fever  in- 
creased amid  this  war  of  the  elements. 

The  storm  continued  with  more  or  less  violence 
throughout  the  night,  but  the  rain  moderated  somewhat. 
Quimbungo,  shortly  after  daylight,  informed  me  that 
the  carriers  were  ready,  but  that  they  demanded  pay- 
ment in  advance. 

This  I  positively  refused,  for  besides  the  experience 


TWENTY  DAYS  OF  PROFOUND  ANXIETY,  105 


recently  acquired  of  the  folly  of  the  practice,  Capoco 
had  advised  me  never  to  pay  them  beforehand. 

The  men  in  turn  refused  to  go,  and  disbanded. 
Quimbungo  assembled  some  of  his  immediate  followers 
and  ordered  them  to  accompany  me,  but  the  number 
was  very  small,  so  that,  even  with  the  addition  of  those 
brought  me  by  Capoco,  I  had  still  twenty-seven  loads 
without  carriers  for  them,  and  was  compelled  to  leave 
them  behind  under  the  charge  of  Barros,  Quimbungo 
promising  to  send  them  after  me  to  the  Sambo,  whither 
I  decided  forthwith  to  bend  my  steps. 

I  started  at  10  a.m.  in  an  easterly  direction,  and  an 
hour  afterwards  crossed  the  river  Canhungamua,  33 
yards  in  breadth  and  from  13  to  16  feet  deep,  which 
running  southwards  mingles  its  waters  with  those  of 
the  Cunene. 

A  bridge  of  recent  construction,  formed  of  the  trunks 
of  trees,  gave  an  easy  passage  to  our  party,  but  our 
carriers  on  reaching  the  left  bank  expressed  their 
determination  to  go  no  farther  that  day.  I  was  com- 
pelled to  use  the  utmost  energy  to  make  them  continue 
their  march  until  three  in  the  afternoon,  at  which  hour 
we  fixed  our  encampment  in  a  thick  forest  of  acacia- 
trees. 

The  bad  weather  still  pursued  us,  nor  could  I  throw 
off  the  fever  which  weighed  upon  me,  although  it 
yielded  somewhat  to  the  irregular  treatment  I  was 
enabled  to  apply. 

During  the  night  an  awful  thunderstorm  travelling 
from  south-west  to  north-east  passed  over  our  heads, 
the  vivid  flashes  of  lightning  being  accompanied  by 
torrents  of  rain. 

Breaking  up  our  camp  on  the  following  morning  at 
six,  we  pursued  our  journey,  reaching  the  Cunene  a 
couple  of  hours  later.  This  we  crossed  by  a  bridge 
constructed,  like  all  the  bridges  in  this  part  of  Africa, 


106 


TEE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


of  unhewn  trunks  of  trees.  At  this  spot  the  river  was 
found  to  be  22  yards  wide  and  6  feet  deep,  the  stream 
running  southwards.  The  banks  are  slightly  undulated, 
covered  with  tall  grasses  but  with  little  wTood.  A 
double  row  of  trees,  however,  very  similar  in  appear- 
ance to  the  stunted  willows  of  Europe,  was  traceable 
by  the  eye  for  a  considerable  distance,  in  the  shape  of 
tortuous  lines,  between  which  the  river  flowed  with  a 
rapid  current  over  a  bed  of  fine  white  sand. 

I  took  a  short  rest,  after  making  the  necessary 
observations  to  determine  the  altitude,  and  started  again 
at  noon,  arriving  at  2  p.m.  at  the  village  of  the 
native  chief  of  the  Dumbo  in  the  Sambo  territory. 

This  chief  is  a  vassal  of  the  king  of  the  Sambo,  is  a 
man  of  considerable  wealth,  and  reckons  a  large  number 
of  inhabitants  in  the  villages  and  hamlets  over  which 
he  holds  sway.  He  received  me  very  courteously  and 
invited  me  to  take  up  my  quarters  within  his  village, 
which  I  accepted. 

He  promised  me  carriers  for  the  following  day, 
although,  as  he  said,  I  had  not  arrived  at  a  very 
favourable  juncture,  as  many  of  his  people  were  absent 
upon  a  war  excursion.  I  paid  and  discharged  the 
Quimbungo  carriers  and  felt  confident  about  resuming 
my  journey  on  the  following  day. 

A  short  time  before  my  own  arrival,  a  wealthy 
chief,  by  name  Cassoma,  had  reached  the  Dumbo.  He 
was  a  friend  of  my  host,  whom  he  had  come  to  visit, 
travelling  for  that  purpose  from  his  residence  on  the 
bank  of  the  Cubango.  This  Cassoma  was  far  from 
being  sympathetic  to  me,  although  he  was  himself 
profuse  in  his  expressions  of  friendship,  and  even 
offered  to  accompany  me  to  the  Bine'. 

In  the  evening  I  sent  three  bottles  of  aguardente  to 
my  host  and  reminded  him  not  to  fail  me  next  morning 
in  the  matter  of  carriers.    Contrary  to  the  hospitable 


TWENTY  DAYS  OF  PROFOUND  ANXIETY.  107 


customs  of  the  natives  in  these  parts  the  chief  had  sent 
me  nothing  whatsoever  to  eat,  and  as  none  would  sell 
us  flour,  we  were  beginning  to  get  very  hungry. 

It  was  about  eight  o'clock  at  night  that,  in  a  very 
bad  humour  and  with  an  empty  stomach,  I  was  about 
to  retire  to  rest,  when  I  heard  a  knocking  at  my  door, 
which  was  immediately  followed  by  the  entrance  of  my 
host,  the  chief  Cassoma,  another  by  the  name  of 
Palanca,  a  friend  and  principal  counsellor  of  my  host, 
and  five  of  the  wives  of  the  latter. 

We  conversed  awhile  about  my  journey,  but  Cassoma 
suddenly  broke  in  with  the  remark,  that  they  had  not 
come  there  to  talk,  and  addressing  himself  pointedly  to 
his  friend,  he  added,  "  We  want  aguardente,  as  you  know, 
so  tell  the  white  man  to  give  it  to  us." 

My  host,  encouraged  by  the  impudence  of  Cassoma, 
then  told  me  that  I  must  give  him  and  his  wives  some 
liquor.  To  this  I  replied  that  I  had  already  given  him 
three  bottles,  although  he  had  not  offered  me  bit  or  sup 
in  return ;  that  it  was  the  first  time  in  the  course  of 
my  travels  I  had  been  allowed  by  a  chief,  who  proffered 
me  hospitality,  to  go  to  my  bed  fasting,  and  that  I 
should  not  therefore  part  with  another  drop  of 
aguardente,  Cassoma  then  took  up  the  cudgels  and  did 
all  he  could  to  awaken  the  anger  of  his  brother  chief; 
a  warm  controversy  ensued  between  us,  which  lasted 
for  more  than  an  hour,  and  although  I  managed  to 
keep  my  temper,  my  prudence  and  patience  were  tried 
to  their  utmost  limits. 

Patience  and  prudence,  however,  alike  gave  wray 
when  my  unwelcome  visitors  declared  that,  as  I  would 
not  give  them  what  they  wanted  by  fair  means,  they 
intended  to  help  themselves.  Pushing  the  cask  towards 
them  with  my  foot,  I  seized  my  revolver,  and  cocking 
it,  asked  who  intended  to  take  the  first  drink. 

They  hesitated  a  moment,  when  Cassoma  cried  out 


108 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


to  my  host,  "  You  are  king  here,  and  have  a  right  to 
the  first  swill."  Dumbo  threw  off  his  outer  garment, 
which  he  delivered  to  Palanca  with  the  words,  "  Take 
care  the  white  man  doesn't  steal  it,"  and  took  two  steps 
towards  the  cask. 

I  raised  my  revolver  to  the  height  of  his  head  and 
fired ;  but  Verissimo  Goncalves,  who  stood  by  me, 
knocked  up  my  arm,  and  the  ball  went  crashing  into 
the  wall  of  the  hut. 

The  three  negroes,  trembling  with  fear,  retreated  to 
as  great  a  distance  from  me  as  the  dimensions  of  the 
building  would  allow,  and  the  five  women  set  up  a 
horrible  chorus  of  screams. 

J  then  for  the  first  time  became  conscious  of  the 
sound  of  other  human  voices  mixed  with  that  laughter 
so  peculiar  to  the  blacks,  and  looking  towards  the  door 
I  discovered  my  faithful  followers  Augusto  and  Manuel 
who,  on  hearing  the  discussion,  had  softly  approached, 
with  the  rest  of  my  men  in  the  rear,  and  now,  armed 
with  their  guns,  were  keeping  guard  at  the  entrance, 
and  heartily  enjoying  the  scene. 

Verissimo  then,  in  a  confidential  tone,  informed  my 
host  and  his  companions  that  they  had  better  retire 
and  not  say  a  word  to  arouse  my  anger,  for  that  if  I 
should  put  myself  in  a  rage  again  he  would  not  answer 
for  the  consequences  or  be  able  perhaps  to  save  their 
lives,  as  he  had  done  awhile  ago. 

They  lost  no  time  in  taking  his  advice  and  filed  off, 
one  behind  the  other,  in  the  utmost  silence. 

But  for  Verissimo's  knocking  up  my  arm  in  the  way 
he  did  I  should  have  killed  the  chief,  and  in  the  position 
in  which  we  then  stood  we  should  in  all  probability 
have  been  massacred  to  a  man.  In  saving  my  host's 
life,  he  had  therefore  saved  the  lives  of  us  all. 

The  excitement  occasioned  by  this  last  adventure  so 
increased  the  fever  within  me,  that  when  the  place  was 


TWENTY  DAYS  OF  PROFOUND  ANXIETY. 


109 


cleared  of  my  visitors  I  dropped  in  a  state  of  utter 
exhaustion  upon  the  skins  which,  spread  in  a  corner  of 
the  hut,  served  me  by  way  of  bed. 

My  faithful  blacks  stretched  themselves  across  the 
door  and  told  me  to  sleep  in  peace,  as  they  would  watch 
over  my  safety. 

On  three  different  occasions,  therefore,  within  four 
days  had  my  life  been  in  jeopardy.  First,  in  my 
encounter  with  the  buffalo  in  the  Huambo  ;  secondly,  in 
the  forcible  entrance  into  Chacaquimbamba's  village  ; 
and  thirdly,  in  the  adventure  of  that  evening. 

After  a  short  and  broken  sleep  I  awoke  to  the  sounds 
of  a  tempest  that  was  raging  violently  outside. 

As  I  lay,  I  turned  over  in  my  mind  the  events  of 
the  few  hours  before,  and  did  not  derive  much  comfort 
or  tranquillity  from  their  contemplation.  What  would 
the  morning  bring  forth  ?  There  was  I,  with  my  ten 
men,  within  a  fortified  village  whence  it  was  not  easy 
to  escape,  and  even  were  the  passage  clear,  where  was  1 
to  obtain  carriers  now  that  I  was,  so  to  speak,  at  daggers 
drawn  with  their  chief? 

My  readers  may  form  some  slight  idea  of  the  anxiety 
with  which  I  watched  for  the  first  gleam  of  daylight. 

When  the  dawn  at  last  appeared  I  took  it  as  a  good 
omen  that  the  fever  had  somewhat  abated.  I  rose, 
made  all  preparations  for  departure,  and  then  took  the 
bold  course  of  summoning  the  chief,  who  was  not  long 
in  making  his  appearance. 

I  told  him  that  I  was  about  to  continue  my  journey, 
and  should  leave  my  property  under  his  care,  until 
such  time  as  I  could  send  for  it.  In  a  very  subdued 
manner  he  begged  me  not  to  do  that,  as  he  would 
furnish  me  with  carriers  ;  he  made  a  thousand  apologies 
for  the  occurrence  of  the  evening  before,  the  whole 
blame  of  which  he  threw  upon  Cassoma  whom,  as  he 
averred,  he  had  turned  out  of  his  house.   This,  however, 


110 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


was  not  true,  as  I  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  fellow  a  little 
later  on. 

At  ten  o'clock  the  requisite  carriers  appeared.  But 
I  saw  at  a  glance  that  they  did  not  all  deserve  that 
name,  for  amid  the  group  were  half-a-dozen  girls  with 
bangles  about  their  ankles ;  so  that,  in  his  hurry  to  get 
rid  of  me,  he  had  not  waited  to  draw 
men  from  the  surrounding  hamlets, 
but  put  all  he  had  at  my  disposal  and 
made  up  the  desired  number  by  these 
female  slaves. 

I,  however,  thanked  him  warmly 
and  expressed  my  satisfaction  at  such 
a  proof  of  courtesy,  adding  that  I  had 
not  got  with  me  a  present  worthy  of 
Fig.  5.— Woman  of  n^s  acceptance,  but  that  I  should  be 
the  Sambo.       happy  to  offer  him  a  handsome  gun 
if  he  would  send  a  man  with  me,  in 
whom  he  placed  confidence,  to  receive  it  at  the  Bihe ; 
hinting,  at  the  same  time,  that  I  should  be  pleased  if  he 
selected  for  such  office  his  confidant,  the  chief  Palanca. 
My  delight  was  extreme  (though  I  took  care  to  conceal 
it)  at  his  yielding  to  my  request  and  appointing  Palanca 
to  accompany  me.    By  so  doing,  this  Dumbo  princelet 
delivered  into  my  hands  a  precious  hostage,  who  would 
be  responsible  not  only  for  my  own  safety  but  for  that 
of  the  loads  I  had  entrusted  two  days  previously  to  the 
care  of  Barros,  whom  I  informed  of  the  circumstances 
by  a  letter  which  I  left  for  him  at  the  Dumbo. 

I  quitted  the  village,  which  had  so  narrowly  escaped 
becoming  a  scene  of  successful  treachery  and  blood- 
shed, at  11  a.m.,  marching  at  the  head  of  my  strangely 
assorted  crew,  consisting  of  my  ten  Benguella  braves, 
ten  very  doubtful  characters  of  the  Sambo  country,  and 
six  virgin  slaves  of  the  native  chief  of  the  Dumbo. 
The  rain  was  falling  in  torrents ;  but  heedless  of 


TWENTY  DAYS  OF  PROFOUND  ANXIETY, 


111 


tins  inconvenience  I  trudged  steadily  on,  anxious,  as 
may  well  be  supposed,  to  put  as  many  miles  as  pos- 
sible between  myself  and  that  inhospitable  township. 

Four  hours  later,  having  travelled  N.E.,  I  pitched 
my  camp  near  the  village  of  Burundoa,  completely 
soaked  through  and  shivering  with  cold  and  fever. 

I  declined  the  hospitality  offered  me  by  the  chief  of 
the  locality,  for  not  only  had  I  been  vividly  impressed 
with  the  experience  of  the  evening  before,  but  I  began 


Fig.  6. — My  Encampment  between  the  Sambo  and  the  Bihe. 

to  see  the  wisdom  of  the  counsel  given  me  by  Stanley, 
namely,  never  in  Africa,  if  it  could  possibly  be  avoided, 
to  pass  the  night  under  native  roofs. 

Several  girls  made  their  appearance  at  my  camp, 
offering  for  sale  Indian  corn,  both  whole  and  in  flour, 
and  some  magnificent  potatoes,  in  no  way  inferior  to 
those  of  Europe. 

Rain  still  continued  failing — less  heavily,  but  most 
persistently — and  I  really  began  to  feel  very  ill. 


112 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


In  the  vicinity  of  my  camp  there  was  a  little  brook, 
whose  waters  helped  to  swell  a  rivulet,  an  affluent  of 
the  Cubango,  into  which  it  flowed  somewhat  farther  to 
the  westward. 

During  the  night  the  rain  kept  falling,  and  increased 
in  violence  between  four  and  five  in  the  morning,  at 
which  latter  hour  it  held  up.  There  is  great  abundance 
of  excellent  tobacco  in  this  country,  where  a  good  deal 
was  sold  me  at  a  very  cheap  rate.  Few  of  the  blacks, 
however,  in  those  parts  seem  to  smoke,  but  all  use 
tobacco  in  the  shape  of  snuff.  This  they  prepare  in  a 
very  primitive  way,  by  roasting  the  leaf  before  a  slow 
fire  and  then  pounding  it  in  the  very  tube  or  box,  out 
of  which  they  take  it,  by  means  of  a  little  wooden  pestle 
fastened  to  the  box  by  a  fine  strap. 

I  started  at  7.40  a.m.  in  a  N.E.  direction,  traversing 
a  highly-cultivated  and  thickly-peopled  region. 

At  8.30  we  passed  close  by  the  large  hamlet  of 
Vaneno,  and  at  ten  made  a  short  halt  close  to  the 
village  of  Moenacuchimba.  We  resumed  our  march 
half  an  hour  afterwards,  still  pursuing  a  N.E.  course ; 
at  eleven  were  abreast  of  the  hamlet  of  Chaca- 
pombo,  a  very  populous  place,  and  at  11.30  had  another 
rest  near  Quiaia,  the  most  important  of  all  these 
inhabited  places. 

The  chief  of  this  latter  village  turned  out  to  salute 
me  and  made  me  a  present  of  a  large  pig.  I  returned 
him  its  value  in  striped  cotton  stuff,  at  which  he  was 
very  pleased,  and  subsequently  sent  a  lot  of  pumpkins 
for  the  use  of  my  people. 

We  pursued  our  journey  in  the  same  direction,  and 
two  hours  later  pitched  our  tents  in  a  wood  near  the 
hamlet  of  the  Gongo.  The  latter  part  of  this  day's 
march  was  very  tedious  owing  to  the  heavy  showers 
of  rain ;  and  a  S.W.  wind  that  was  blowing  was 
searching  and  cold. 


TWENTY  DAYS  OF  PROFOUND  ANXIETY.  113 


In  the  evening  an  envoy  arrived  at  my  camp  from 
the  native  chief  of  the  Sambo,  whose  township  was  de- 
scribed to  me  as  being  situated  at  a  distance  of  some 
nine  or  ten  miles  in  a  N.W.  direction.  The  object  of 
his  message  was  to  get  something  out  of  me  in  the 
way  of  a  present,  and  to  inform  me  that  if  I  would  pass 
by  the  chief's  place  he  would  give  me  an  ox  in  return. 
I  thanked  him  for  the  kind  intention,  and  promised  to 
let  him  have  a  trifle  on  the  following  day,  for  1  was 
apprehensive,  if  I  sent  him  off  empty-handed,  he  would 
induce  my  carriers  to  abandon  me ;  a  matter  that  it 
would  have  been  very  easy  to  do,  as  they  had  already 
shown  a  disposition  to  mutiny  which  it  had  required  all 
Verissimo's  eloquence  to  overcome. 

A  chief  of  the  name  of  Capuco,  who  held  sway  over 
the  neighbouring  hamlet,  paid  me  the  compliment  of 
sending  me  by  three  of  his  wives  (all  very  ugly  women) 
a  present  in  the  shape  of  a  fowl  and  three  pumpkins. 
In  return  I  sent  him  about  three  yards  of  striped  cloth 
and  gave  a  few  beads  to  the  women.  At  nightfall  we 
had  other  female  visitors,  offering  flour,  maize  and 
manioc  for  sale.  All  these  women  indulged  in  the 
most  extravagant  head-dresses,  the  hair  being  interlaced 
with  white  coral  and  made  to  shine  with  a  lavish  ex- 
penditure of  castor-oil,  which  seemed  to  be  a  favourite 
article  of  the  toilet. 

The  men  furnished  me  by  the  chief  of  the  Dumbo 
were  the  most  insubordinate  rascals  I  ever  came  across ; 
they  were  always  either  quarrelling  with  one  another 
or  with  the  Benguella  porters,  so  that  the  only  quiet 
spot  in  the  camp,  at  night-time,  was  that  occupied  by 
the  six  negresses,  my  gentle  virgin  carriers. 

A  very  rough  night  it  was — rain  and  wind  contend- 
ing for  the  mastery.  At  daybreak  the  chief  Capuco 
came  to  thank  me  for  the  cloth  I  had  given  him,  and 
as  if  to  make  up  for  the  insignificance  of  his  former 

VOL.  I.  I 


114 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


gift,  bad  brought  with  bini  a  handsome  pig  and  a  good 
fat  ben. 

The  envoy  of  the  great  chief  came  shortly  after  to 
receive  the  present  I  had  promised  him ;  and  as  I 
considered  it  was  only  an  exchange  for  an  intention  to 
give  me  an  ox,  if  I  went  ten  miles  out  of  my  way,  I 
did  not  think  it  worth  while  to  make  it  a  costly  one. 

At  8  a.m.  we  were  on  our  way,  and  at  9  passed  close 
to  the  hamlets  of  Chacaonha,  inhabited  by  the  first  of 
the  Granguella  race  in  West  Africa. 

The  Bomba  rivulet  was  shortly  after  forded  and  we 
continued  alono;  its  left  bank  for  about  a  mile  and  a 
quarter,  when  the  carriers  suddenly  laid  down  their 
loads,  saying  they  would  not  move  another  step,  and 
demanded  payment  that  they  might  return  to  their 
homes.  We  were  then  about  a  mile  or  so  from  the 
Cubango,  and  being  very  desirous  of  crossing  that 
river,  I  tried  to  persuade  them  to  go  at  least  that  short 
distance  farther,  and  promised  that,  so  soon  as  I  was 
on  the  other  side,  I  would  pay  them  what  was  due  and 
dismiss  them. 

My  persuasions,  however,  had  no  effect.  They  gave 
me  to  understand  that  the  reason  of  their  refusal  was 
the  fear  of  my  vengeance — that  I  had  been  grossly 
insulted  in  the  village  of  their  chief  at  the  Dumbo — 
and  they  were  convinced  that  I  should  not  spare  them 
if  I  once  got  them  on  the  other  bank  of  the  river  and 
consequently  out  of  their  own  territory. 

I  tried  to  reason  them  out  of  such  an  absurdity,  but 
it  was  labour  in  vain.  I  then  refused  to  pay  them  at 
all  if  they  did  not  carry  the  loads  to  the  other  side  of 
the  river.  To  this  they  replied  that  they  would  rather 
go  without  their  pay  than  follow  me,  and  they  at  once 
called  the  six  girls  and  bade  them  come  away  with  them. 

I  was  at  my  wits'  end.  Within  a  stone's  throw,  as  it 
were,  was  the  hamlet  of  that  fellow  Cassoma,  and  I 


TWENTY  DAYS  OF  PROFOUND  ANXIETY.  115 


thought  1  perceived  in  this  business  a  craftily  devised 
plan  to  betray  me  into  his  hands,  he  having  gone  on 
before  to  make  his  preparations. 

Any  loads  abandoned  in  such  a  place  were  as  good 
as  lost  beyond  redemption,  and  with  this  conviction  on 
my  mind  my  readers  may  imagine  with  what  feelings 
I  contemplated  the  departure  of  the  carriers. 

I  turned  my  eyes,  in  perplexity,  towards  my  goods, 
and  a  sudden  revulsion  of  feeling  came  over  me.  Seated 
on  one  of  the.  packages  that  were  spread  upon  the 
ground  was  a  tall,  thin  figure  of  a  man,  with  a  face  as 
immovable  as  if  cut  out  of  stone,  and  with  a  long  gun 
lying  across  his  knees.  It  was  the  petty  chief  Palanca, 
who  had  accompanied  me  from  the  Dumbo,  and  whose 
existence  I  had  almost  forgotten.  Now  or  never  was 
the  time  I  could  make  him  useful.  Making  a  spring 
upon  him,  I  disarmed  and  threw  him  to  the  ground. 
Calling  to  my  men,  I  ordered  them  to  bind  him  hand 
and  foot,  and  in  a  loud  voice  commanded  Augusto  and 
Manuel  to  hang  him  up  to  the  projecting  branch  of  an 
acacia  which  conveniently  presented  itself  for  the  purpose. 

Seeing  by  the  rope  put  about  his  neck  that  the  order 
was  being  most  undoubtedly  carried  out,  the  fellow 
exclaimed  :  "  Don't  kill  me,  don't  kill  me ;  the  carriers 
shall  go  across  the  Cubango  !  "  at  the  same  time  he  gave 
vent  to  a  loud  halloa  which  brought  back  the  men,  who 
were  already  at  some  little  distance. 

When  they  were  reassembled  he  gave  the  word  for 
them  to  take  up  their  loads  and  follow  him,  a  command 
which  they  obeyed  without  hesitation. 

I  then  ordered  that  his  feet  should  be  unbound,  and 
threatened  him  with  a  bullet  through  his  head  at  the 
slightest  mutiny  of  the  carriers.  Half  an  hour  after- 
wards we  passed  the  Cubango  by  a  well-constructed 
bridge,  and  camped  on  the  left  bank  near  the  hamlets 
of  Chindonga. 

I  2 


116 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


I  found  between  the  river  and  my  camp  some  iron 
mines  whence  the  natives  extract  abundant  ore. 

At  length  I  stood  in  the  Moraa  country,  and  free  of 
the  territories  of  the  Nano,  Huambo  and  Sambo,  of 
which  I  shall  retain  a  life-long  memory. 

The  Cubango  there  runs  to  S.S.E.  and  is  38  yards 
wide,  by  6  to  13  feet  deep.  I  made  some  observations 
to  determine  the  position  and  altitude,  but  was  forced 


Fig.  7. — Cassanha  Bridge  over  the  River  Cubango. 


to  take  speedy  refuge  in  my  hut,  as  a  squall  from 
N.N.E.  discharged  upon  me  a  copious  amount  of  rain. 

I  paid  and  discharged  the  Sambo  carriers,  giving 
them  a  yard  of  striped  cloth  each,  which  was  the 
recompense  agreed  on. 

I  then  called  the  six  girls  and  told  them  I  should 
give  them  nothing,  as  women  were  bound  to  work,  and 
deserved  no  pay.  They  hung  their  heads  in  a  very 
downcast  fashion,  but  made  no  remark  at  my  decision, 


TWENTY  DAYS  OF  PROFOUND  ANXIETY.  117 


so  degraded  is  the  position  of  women  in  this  part  of  the 
world. 

Just  as  they  were  about  to  start,  and  had  turned 
their  heads  towards  the  Sambo,  I  ordered  them  to  come 
back,  when  I  made  each  of  them  a  present  of  a  couple 
of  yards  of  the  most  brilliant  chintz  I  possessed,  and 
some  strings  of  different  beads. 

It  is  impossible  to  describe  the  delight  of  these  poor 
creatures  at  receiving  so  splendid  a  gift.    The  men 


Fig.  8. — The  Seculo  who  gave  me  a  Pig. 

looked  on  in  envy,  and  I  improved  the  occasion  by 
pointing  out  to  them  that,  if  they  had  not  mutinied  on 
the  other  side  of  the  Cubango,  1  would  have  given  them 
the  same  guerdon. 

This  was  my  revenge,  and  I  hope  the  lesson  was  not 
lost  upon  the  fellows. 

In  the  course  of  the  evening  a  petty  chief  from 
Chindonga  came  to  visit  me,  bringing  with  him  a  pig- 
as  a  present. 


118 


TEE  KING'S  BIFLE. 


He  promised  me  carriers  for  the  following  morning, 
at  the  rate  of  half  a  yard  of  striped  cloth  per  day, 
telling  me,  however,  that  they  would  only  go  as  far  as 
the  Caquingue  country,  where  I  should  readily  obtain 
men  for  the  Bihe. 

My  fever  had  yielded  to  the  tremendous  doses  of 
quinine  I  had  taken;  but,  completely  wetted  through 
for  three  whole  days,  I  began  to  feel  the  first  symptoms 
of  that  rheumatism  which  threatened  more  than  once  to 
bring  my  journey  to  a  sudden  close. 

The  night  was  tempestuous,  and  the  following  day 
continued  very  wet. 

The  chief  was  as  good  as  his  word,  and  put  in  an 
appearance  early  next  morning  with  the  carriers  ;  but 
I  had  resolved  to  give  myself  some  hours'  rest,  and 
therefore  dismissed  them  till  the  following  day.  I 
learned  from  the  chief  that  my  companions  had  passed 
through  his  place  on  the  previous  eve,  corning  from  the 
south. 

The  chief,  Palanca,  from  the  Sambo  was  carefully 
watched,  but  was  otherwise  free.  The  day  before  I 
had  despatched  a  message  to  my  former  host  of  the 
Dumbo,  informing  him  that  the  head  of  his  friend 
should  answer  for  the  loads  that  had  been  left  behind 
in  the  care  of  Barros,  a  resolution  which  Palanca  found 
most  just  and  natural,  as  it  was  the  law  of  the  country. 

It  is  not  improbable  that  this,  and  other  proceedings 
of  mine,  which  will  be  found  most  frankly  avowed  in 
the  course  of  this  narrative,  may  be  censured  by  some 
of  my  readers  ;  but  I  would  beg  my  censors  to  ponder 
for  a  moment  upon  my  position,  accompanied  as  I  was 
by  a  mere  handful  of  men,  in  a  country  where  everything 
was  hostile,  climate  and  inhabitants  included.  If  I  do 
not  profess  the  principle  that  the  end  justifies  the  means, 
neither  do  I  lay  claim  to  that  virtue  which  would 
present  the  other  cheek  when  the  first  has  been  smitten. 


TWENTY  DAYS  OF  PROFOUND  ANXIETY.  119 


Far  from  the  restraints  of  the  civilised  world — outside 
*  its  two  circles  of  iron — the  penal  code  and  social  con- 
ventionalities, which,  close  and  rigid  as  they  are,  still 
leave  sufficient  room  for  crime  and  infamy,  the  African 
explorer,  hemmed  in  by  savage  races  whose  rules  of 
conduct  differ  essentially  from  his  own,  having  the 
Almighty  as  sole  witness  of  his  acts,  and  his  conscience 
as  sole  censor  of  his  proceedings,  requires  a  more  than 
ordinary  strength  to  preserve  his  honesty  of  purpose 
and  moral  dignity  amid  scenes  and  circumstances  where 
his  passions  might  so  easily  lead  him  astray.  For 
myself,  I  candidly  confess  that  the  ovations  which  have 
been  showered  on  me  by  the  civilised  world,  for  having 
happily  overcome  the  material  obstacles  of  my  journey, 
might  have  been  perhaps  more  justly  bestowed  upon 
me  for  my  victories  over  my  own  self,  if  the  terrible 
internal  struggles  I  had  to  undergo  had  only  been  as 
patent  to  the  eye. 

To  conquer  his  own  unruly  passions,  to  overcome  the 
material  and  moral  habits  he  has  formed  during  his 
civilised  life,  are  the  two  great  labours  of  the  explorer. 
He  who  can  do  this  successfully  will  attain  his  end  and 
fulfil  his  mission. 

At  the  outset  of  my  journey  I  must  confess  I  had 
some  apprehensions  on  this  score,  and  as  time  went 
on  I  discovered  that  my  fears  were  not  unfounded. 
I  had  to  wrestle  severely  with  my  own  spirit,  but 
though  exhausted  with  the  struggle,  I  managed  to  come 
out  victorious.  By  dint  of  indomitable  will,  I  succeeded 
in  establishing  an  empire  over  myself,  and  though 
lacking  time  to  produce  a  written  code  of  conduct, 
I  formulated  one  in  my  mind  by  which  I  guided  my 
proceedings.  My  principles  were  those  of  natural 
right  ;  my  law,  brief  but  excellent,  was  summed  up  in 
the  ten  precepts  of  the  Decalogue. 

Let  it  not  be  for  an  instant  imagined  that  I  put 


120 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


forward  any  claim  to  canonisation,  or  that  I  pretend 
to  have  rigorously  followed  the  precepts  laid  down  in 
the  twentieth  chapter  of  the  sublime  Book  of  Exodus, 
certainly  the  most  beautiful  of  the  Pentateuch  ;  but  I 
did  my  best  not  to  depart  too  widely  from  theni,  and  in 
so  doing  I  did  well. 

If  this  digression  do  not  greatly  help  on  the 
narrative,  it  may  at  least  be  useful  in  awakening  some 
chord  in  the  heart  of  future  explorers,  and  to  them  it  is 
in  all  heartiness  addressed. 


Fig.  9. — Ganguella  Women  on  tue  Banks  of  the  Cubango. 


To  resume. 

During  the  day  a  great  many  negroes  came  about  us 
offering  for  sale  various  articles  of  food,  of  the  usual 
kind,  but  there  was  one  comestible  which  was  singular 
enough  to  deserve  a  passing  notice. 

A  large  basket  displayed  a  quantity  of  caterpillars, 
very  similar  to  the  Acherontia  Atropos,  and  of  the  same 
size.  This  gigantic  lepidopter,  when  young,  feeds  upon 
the  grasses  and  is  then  easily  caught.  The  Ganguellas 
devour  it  ravenously,  but  my  own  men  refused  to 
touch  it. 


TWENTY  DAYS  OF  PROFOUND  ANXIETY. 


121 


On  the  following  morning,  at  the  first  appearance  of 
day  light,  a  good  many  more  carriers  presented  them- 
selves ;  but,  as  I  had  already  my  number,  I  was  com- 
pelled to  dismiss  them. 

I  left  about  ten  o'clock,  by  which  hour  the  rain  had 
fortunately  held  up.  Just  as  I  was  starting  I  had  the 
ill-luck  to  break  my  spectacles,  which  I  had  worn  ever 
since  I  left  Lisbon.  Our  course  was  N.E.,  and  after 
five  hours'  tramp  we  pitched  our  tents  on  the  left 
bank  of  the  river  Cutato  dos  Ganguellas,  the  stream 
being  passed  by  stepping-stones  a  little  above  a  small 
cataract. 

On  the  road  we  forded  a  petty  brook  called  Chimb  ui- 
coque,  an  affluent  of  the  Cutato. 

At  that  point  the  river  runs  eastward,  bending 
subsequently  to  the  north  and  then  east  by  south. 
This  gigantic  S  is  a  series  of  rapids,  where  the  river 
rushes  with  a  tremendous  roar  over  the  granite  rocks 
which  form  its  bed. 

At  the  site  of  the  stepping-stones,  or  natural  stone 
bridges,  it  measures  88  yards  across,  and  about  30  yards 
both  higher  up  and  lower  down,  with  a  depth  of  13 
to  16  feet.  It  flows  into  the  Cubango,  so  say  the 
natives,  at  fifteen  days'  march  to  the  south  of  this 
point. 

The  right  bank  is  covered  with  the  plantations  of 
the  inhabitants  of  Moma,  which  occupy  a  space  that  I 
calculated  roughly  at  upwards  of  two  thousand  acres  of 
land.  They  are  the  largest  I  have  ever  seen  in  Africa. 
The  crops  produced  by  these  people  consist  mainly  of 
maize,  beans  and  potatoes,  but  maize  fields  are  those 
which  chiefly  meet  the  eye.  Before  reaching  the 
plantations,  I  crossed  a  forest  of  enormous  acacias  of 
surprising  beauty.  The  aspect  of  the  banks  of  the 
Cutato  is  very  singular.  Where  the  granite  of 
the  river-bed  terminates,  a  soil  commences  of  termitic 


122 


THE  KINO'S  RIFLE. 


formation,  the  ground  undulating  in  thousands  of 
little  hills,  some  cultivated,  others  covered  with  sylvan 
vegetation ;  and  as  they  are  all  connected,  the  aspect 
is  that  of  a  system  of  miniature  mountain  chains  which 
perfectly  enchant  the  beholder.  I  fixed  the  position 
of  the  large  village  or  township  of  Moma  at  the 
distance  of  two  miles  bearing  W.S.W.,  and  after  deter- 
mining the  altitude  of  the  river  there,  I  sought  my  tent, 
wet  through  from  the  incessant  rain,  and  with  another 
attack  of  fever  upon  me. 

Threats  of  rheumatism  continued.  During  the 
night  the  rain  came  down  in  torrents,  and,  as  was 


Fig.  11. — Ant-hill  13  feet  high  on  the  Banks  of  the  Eiveb 

CtJTATO  DOS  GANGUELLAS,  COVERED  WITH  VEGETATION. 

constantly  the  case  now,  I  went  to  sleep  in  the  wet, 
for  at  this  period  of  the  year  the  grasses,  with  which  I 
covered  my  roughly  constructed  hut,  were  never  more 
than  some  20  inches  long,  and  with  such  short  stuff 
it  is  difficult,  if  not  impossible,  to  keep  the  water  out. 

It  was  not  till  noon  on  the  following  day  that  the 
rain  ceased  ;  and  though  my  pulse  was  going  at  the 
rate  of  144  per  minute,  from  fever,  I  resumed  my 
journey  at  2  p.m. 

I  tramped  along  on  foot,  as  I  found  it  impossible  to 
keep  my  seat  on  the  ox  ;  but  after  an  hour's  march 
my  legs  refused  to  carry  me  farther.    We  therefore 


TWENTY  DAYS  OF  PROFOUND  ANXIETY.  123 


camped  ;  and  I  met  with  the  utmost  attention  and  care 
not  only  from  my  own  negroes,  but  even  from  the 
Ganguella  carriers. 

The  spot  where  we  rested  was  near  the  hamlet  of  a 
tribe  called  Lamupas,  from  their  residing  near  the 
cataracts  of  the  river,  which  in  the  language  of  the 
country  are  styled  Mupas. 

It  is  very  thickly  peopled  and  extensively  cultivated, 
as  the  inhabitants  are  greatly  devoted  to  agriculture. 

On  my  road  I  fell  in  with  several  graves  of  the 
native  chiefs,  which  are  covered  with  clay,  similar  in 
shape  to  many  in  Europe.  These  graves  are  protected 
from  the  rain  by  a  species  of  open  shed  with  thatched 
roof,  and  are  always  shaded  by  a  large  tree. 

Upon  most  of  them  I  saw  earthen  vases  and  platters, 
placed  there  by  -the  relatives  of  the  deceased,  as  we  are 
accustomed  to  deposit  garlands  and  immortelles  upon 
the  tombs  of  our  own  loved  ones. 

Towards  night  the  rain  moderated,  and  on  the  follow- 
ing morning  it  was  misty  but  warm.  The  fever  had 
considerably  diminished,  but  my  rheumatic  pains  began 
to  worry  me  excessively.  Still  I  went  on,  and  half  an 
hour  after  having  left  the  camp  I  passed  near  the  large 
village  of  Cassequera. 

After  crossing  a  little  brook  which  ran  on  the  other 
side  of  the  village,  I  came  upon  some  enormous 
clearances  covered  with  grasses,  which  excited  my 
attention  on  account  of  their  huge  size  and  mature 
growth  at  a  period  of  the  year  when  the  plants  of  this 
family  are  only  just  beginning  to  develop. 

My  young  negro  Pepeca  had  so  violent  and  sudden 
an  attack  of  fever  that  he  sank  down  powerless.  I 
called  a  halt,  and  sent  off  a  messenger  to  the  village  of 
Cassequera  to  hire  a  man  for  the  purpose  of  carrying 
the  poor  fellow  on  his  shoulders.  At  noon  I  passed 
near  the  residence  of  the  captain  of  the  Quingue,  the 


124 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


first  village  in  the  Caquingue  country.  I  took  up  my 
quarters  in  the  house  of  Joao  Albino,  a  half-caste  of 
Benguella,  the  son  of  the  old  Portuguese  trader  Luiz 
Albino,  who  was  killed  by  a  buffalo  in  the  wilds  of 
the  Zambesi. 

Joao  Albino  resides  in  the  compound  of  Camenha, 
son  of  the  captain  of  the  Quingue. 

Camenha  himself  was  absent,  having  gone  to  take 
the  command  of  the  forces  of  the  native  king  of  Ca- 
quingue, in  a  war  then  waging  with  certain  chiefs  of 
the  Cubango. 


Fig.  12. — Tomb  of  a  Native  Chief. 

The  weather  improved  and  my  fever  entirely  left  me, 
but  I  had  not  got  rid  of  my  rheumatism,  which  gave 
lively  evidence  of  its  presence. 

It  is  worthy  of  note  that  night  came  on  without  rain, 
and  was  followed  by  a  cloudless  morning. 

I  paid  a  visit  to  the  old  captain  of  the  Quingue, 
taking  with  me,  by  way  of  offering,  a  piece  of  liaen 
cloth.  He  made  me  a  present  of  an  ox,  which  I  ordered 
at  once  to  be  slaughtered,  as  we  had  eaten  no  other 


TWENTY  DAYS  OF  PROFOUND  ANXIETY. 


125 


flesh  than  that  of  swine  for  a  long  time  past.  The 
captain  was  very  old  and  infirm.  He  conversed  with 
me  at  great  length  about  my  journey  and  its  motives, 
and  could  not  comprehend  what  I  intended  to  do. 

When  I  was  about  to  leave  him  he  said,  "  I  know 
now  who  you  are  ;  you  are  a  chief  of  the  white  king, 
and  he  has  sent  you  to  visit  these  parts,  and  study  the 
roads ;  for  the  white  king  knows  that  many  things  are 
done  here  that  are  not  good,  and  he  wants  to  put  a  stop 
to  them.  I  pray  you,  when  he  does  so,  not  to  forgot 
that  I  gave  you  an  ox,  and  treated  you  as  my  brother. 
I  have  not  long  to  live,  but  then  you  can  remember 
my  sons,  and  will  do  them,  I  hope,  no  injury." 

I  was  touched  by  the  old  man's  words.  His  chiefs 
accompanied  me  respectfully  to  the  village  of  the  son, 
where  I  was  lodging,  and  there  were  few  of  them 
who  failed,  during  the  day,  to  bring  me  over  some 
little  present,  such  as  a  hen  or  two,  some  eggs  and 
sugar-cane.  I  saw  a  small  plantation  of  the  latter 
within  the  captain's  enclosure,  of  even  a  more  flourish- 
ing character  than  that  visible  on  the  sea-shore,  where 
this  plant  nevertheless  assumes  colossal  proportions. 

I  mention  this  circumstance,  because  I  was  under 
the  impression  until  then  that,  at  so  considerable  an 
altitude,  nearly  5580  feet,  the  cane  would  not  grow. 

On  my  return  to  the  village,  I  found  Francisco 
Gongalves,  known  as  Carique,  the  half-brother  of  my 
follower  Terissimo,  who,  learning  of  my  arrival,  had 
come  to  pay  me  a  visit. 

This  Carique  was,  like  Yerissimo,  the  son  of  the 
trader  Guilherme,  but  by  a  different  mother,  and  on 
the  mother's  side  he  was  heir  to  the  throne  of  Ca- 
quingue. 

He  lives  with  the  native  king,  his  uncle,  and  is 
married  to  a  daughter  of  the  future  sovereign  of  the 
Bihe. 


126 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


He  was  educated  at  Benguella,  and  has  some  sort  of 
culture  and  a  good  deal  of  intelligence.  He  brought 
several  negroes  with  him,  slaves  of  his  father,  whom 
he  placed  at  my  disposal  to  accompany  me  in  my  journey 
eastward  from  the  Bihe  country. 

Thus,  before  I  had  even  reached  that  desired  goal, 
I  had  several  carriers  in  readiness. 

Carique,  Albino,  the  captain's  son  and  others  who 
trade  with  the  interior,  start  from  that  point  for  the 
Mucusso  and  Snlatebelle,  descending  by  the  Cubango 
to  the  Ngami,  always  on  the  right  bank ;  and  they  do 
business  also  in  the  Cuanhama,  a  country  to  the  east  of 
the  Humbe,  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Cunene. 

Their  staple  article  of  trade  is  slaves,  exchanged,  on 
the  road,  for  oxen  ;  and  these  again,  with  bale  goods, 
are  bartered  for  wax  and  ivory. 

I  resolved  to  remain  there  a  day,  not  only  to  get  a 
long  rest  and  dry  my  wetted  things,  but  also  to  procure 
some  information  about  the  country,  whose  customs 
differ  considerably  from  those  of  the  tribes  I  had 
hitherto  met  with.  In  the  evening  Carique  and  Joao 
Albino  kept  me  company,  and  furnished  me  with 
lengthy  data  concerning  the  territory  and  its  people, 
the  most  noteworthy  of  which  I  here  transcribe  from 
my  diary. 

The  Caquingue  country  is  bounded  on  the  north 
by  the  Bine',  on  the  west  by  the  Moma  territory,  and 
on  the  east  and  south  by  confederate  tribes  of  the  Gran- 
guella  race.  This  latter  race  occupies  in  this  part  of 
Africa  a  vast  tract  of  land,  and  is  divided  into  four 
large  groups,  which  are  susceptible  again  of  further 
subdivision.  Their  language  and  customs  are  the 
same  throughout,  but  there  is  a  difference  in  their 
political  organisation.  In  the  Caquingue  country 
the  Granguellas  assume  the  name  of  Gonzellos,  form 
a  separate  kingdom,  and  admit  but  one  sole  head. 


TWENTY  DAYS  OF  PROFOUND  ANXIETY.  127 


In  their  other  divisions  they  form  confederations, 
which  are  very  common  in  Africa,  each  large  village 
or  township  being  governed  by  an  independent  chief. 
Those  who  live  to  the  S.E.  of  Caquingue  style  them- 
selves Nhembas ;  those  to  the  south,  Massacas ;  and 
they  who  dwell  to  the  east  of  the  Bihe,  Bundas.  Of 
the  last  mentioned  I  shall  have  occasion  to  speak  at 
some  length  later  on.  The  Gonzellos,  the  Ganguellas 
of  Caquingue,  are  cultivators  of  the  soil  and  traders, 


Fig.  13— Caquingue  Blacksmiths. 


and,  of  all  the  peoples  of  South  Central  Africa,  are  those 
which  approximate  most  to  the  Bihenos  in  the  way  of 
commercial  exploration. 

When  at  home  they  work  a  good  deal  in  iron,  and 
this  branch  of  trade  establishes  between  them  and  other 
tribes  very  active  commercial  relations. 

They  have  not  the  slightest  idea  of  any  religion 
whatsoever,  and  though  thorough  believers  in  sorcery, 
they  never  give  a  thought  to  the  existence  of  a  Supreme 
Being,  by  whom  all  things  are  ordered. 


128 


THE  KINO'S  MIFLE. 


During  the  coldest  months,  that  is  to  say  June  and 
July,  the  Gonzellos  miners  leave  their  homes,  and 
take  up  their  abode  in  extensive  encampments  near  the 
iron-mines,  which  are  abundant  in  the  country. 

In  order  to  extract  the  ore,  they  dig  circular  holes 
or  shafts  of  about  10  to  13  feet  in  diameter,  but  not 
more  than  6  or  7  feet  deep ;  this  arises  most  probably 
from  their  want  of  means  to  raise  the  ore  to  a  greater 
elevation.  I  examined  several  of  these  shafts  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  the  Cubango,  and  found  them  all  of 
a  similar  character. 

As  soon  as  they  have  extracted  sufficient  ore  for  the 
work  of  the  year,  they  begin  separating  the  iron. 

This  is  done  in  holes  of  no  great 
depth,  the  ore  being  mixed  with 
charcoal,  and  the  temperature  being- 
raised  by  means  of  primitive  bellows, 
consisting  of  two  wooden  cylinders 
2  about  a  foot  in  diameter,  hollowed 
out  to  a  depth  of  4  inches  and  covered 
with  two  tanned  goat-skins,  to  which 
are  fixed  two  handles,  20  inches  long 
and  half  an  inch  thick.  By  a  rapid 
movement  of  these  handles,  a  current 
of  air  is  produced  which  plays  upon 
the  charcoal  through  two  hollow 
wooden  tubes  attached  to  the  cylin- 
ders, and  furnished  with  clay  muzzles. 

By  incessant  labour,  kept  up  night 
and  day,  the  whole  of  the  metal 
becomes  transformed,  by  ordinary  processes,  into  spades, 
axes,  war-hatchets,  arrow-heads,  assegais,  nails,  knives, 
and  bullets  for  fire-arms,  and  even  occasionally  fire- 
arms themselves,  the  iron  being  tempered  with  ox- 
grease  and  salt.  I  have  seen  a  good  many  of  these 
guns  carry  as  well  as  the  best  pieces  made  of  cast  steel. 


4 

-1.  Bellows. 

2.  Clay  Muzzle. 

3.  Anvil. 

4.  Hammer. 


TWENTY  DAYS  OF  PROFOUND  ANXIETY.  129 

During  the  whole  of  the  time  that  these  labours  last 
no  woman,  under  any  pretext,  is  allowed  to  go  near  the 


Fig.  15.  —  Articles  manufactured  by  the  Natives  between  the 
Coast  and  the  Bihe.  1.  Working  Axe.  2.  Arrow-head  for  War. 
3.  Arrows.  4.  Arkow-head  for  Hunting.  5.  Butt-end  of  Arrows. 
6.  Battle-axe.    7.  Hoe.    8.  Assegais. 


miners'  camp,  for  fear,  as  they  say,  of  the  utter  ruin  of 
the  metal.    My  own  opinion  is,  that  the  object  of  the 
vol.  I.  K 


130 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


prohibition  is  to  prevent  the  men  being  distracted  in 
their  work,  which,  as  I  have  stated,  is  kept  up  night 
and  day. 

So  soon  as  the  metal  is  converted  into  articles  of 
trade,  the  miners  return  to  their  homes  laden  with  their 
manufactures,  which  they  subsequently  dispose  of  by 
sale,  after  reserving  what  they  require  for  their  own 
necessities. 

It  is  curious  that  none  of  these  people  admit  the 
existence  of  natural  causes  of  disease  or  death.  If  any 
among  them  should  fall  ill  or  die,  the  cause  is  attributed 
either  to  the  souls  of  the  other  world  (one  among  the 
spirits  being  specially  designated),  or  to  some  living 
person  who  has  compassed  the  evil  by  sorcery  or  witch- 
craft. On  the  death  of  a  native,  should  no  relatives  be 
upon  the  spot,  they  are  at  once  summoned,  and  pending 
their  arrival,  the  corpse  is  suspended  from  a  stout  pole, 
planted  at  a  distance  of  some  200  or  300  yards  from  the 
entrance  of  the  village. 

On  the  assembling  of  the  relatives,  divination  is  at 
once  resorted  to  in  order  to  learn  the  cause  of  death. 
For  this  purpose  the  corpse  is  fastened  to  a  long  stake ; 
a  man  seizes  each  end  of  it,  and  the  body  is  thus 
conveyed  to  the  place  set  apart  for  the  divination,  where 
the  diviner  is  in  attendance,  together  with  a  concourse 
of  people  standing  in  two  rows. 

The  diviner  then  taking  in  his  right  hand  a  piece  of 
white  coral  commences  operations. 

After  no  end  of  mummery  and  discordant  cries, 
during  which  the  corpse  is  made  to  sway  about — the 
people  all  the  while  believing  it  does  so  without  human 
intervention — the  diviner  declares  that  it  was  the  soul 
of  such  a  person,  male  or  female,  whom  he  mentions, 
that  occasioned  the  death ;  or  he  avers  that  it  was 
this  or  that  living  person  who  slew  the  defunct  by 
sorcery. 


TWENTY  DAYS  OF  PROFOUND  ANXIETY. 


131 


In  the  former  case,  a  grave  being  dug  in  the  neigh- 
bouring wood,  no  spot  in  particular  being  selected  for 
the  purpose,  the  body  is  interred  without  more  ado,  and 
stones,  wood  and  earth  are  heaped  over  it.  But  in  the 
latter  case,  the  person  designated  by  the  diviner  as  the 
sorcerer  is  seized,  and  must  either  pay  to  the  nearest  of 
kin  the  value  of  the  life  he  is  deemed  to  have  taken,  or 
forfeit  his  head  ;  an  account  of  the  event  being  subse- 
quently given  to  the  ruling  chief,  together  with  a 
female  goat  as.  a  fee  for  listening  to  the  case. 

An  accused  person  has  fortunately  the  right  to  deny 
his  supposed  crime,  and  to  furnish  a  defence.  He  applies 
for  such  purpose  to  a  medicine-man  (by  way  of  advocate), 
who,  in  presence  of  the  people,  proceeds  to  prepare  his 
proofs,  in  the  shape  of  an  ordeal,  to  establish  either  the 
guilt  or  innocence  of 'the  accused.  For  instance,  in 
sight  of  the  latter's  kinsfolk  and  of  the  general  public, 
he  composes  a  poisonous  draught,  to  be  taken  both  by 
the  accused  and  the  nearest  relative  of  the  dead  man. 
This  draught  produces  a  species  of  temporary  madness, 
and  he  who  suffers  most  from  its  effects  is  deemed 
the  more  guilty,  and  has  sentence  of  death  passed  upon 
him.* 

.If  this  sentence  fall  upon  the  accused,  he  either  pays 
the  life  of  the  deceased,  or  forfeits  his  own ;  if  it  fall 
upon  the  other  man,  he  has  to  indemnify  the  accused 
for  the  accusation  made  by  giving  him  at  once  a  pig, 
to  pay  for  the  trouble  in  seeking  a  medicine-man,  and 
subsequently,  whatever  else  the  accused  may  claim, 
namely,  a  couple  of  oxen,  two  slaves,  a  bale  of  goods, 
&c,  &c. 

In  this  place,  I  cannot  do  better  than  point  out  avast 
difference  which  exists  between  three  important  person- 
ages among  the  people  of  South  Central  Africa,  and  who 

*  This  is  very  similar  to  the  practice  in  use  among  the  Maraves,  the  Ordeal 
of  the  Muave  (Gamito,  Muata  Cazembe). 

K  2 


132 


TEE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


are  not  unfrequently  confounded  with  each  other. 
These  are  the  medicine-man,  the  diviner,  and  the 
sorcerer.  At  the  first  glance  they  do  certainly  appear 
to  have  points  of  contact,  but  in  reality  they  have 
none. 

The  medicine-man  is  defined  by  the  name  bestowed 
upon  him.  He  prepares  medicaments.  He  has  some 
knowledge  of  medicinal  herbs  and  roots  which  he 
invariably  employs  empirically,  and  makes  great  use 
of  the  cupping  glass ;  but  as  regards  science,  he  has 
little  or  none.  The  medicine-man  never  makes  a 
diagnosis  of  any  disease,  but  deals  freely  in  prognostics. 
His  doses  of  medicinal  plants  are  always  empirical,  and 
the  most  absurd  and  useless  components  enter  into  his 
pharmacopoeia.  It  is  true  that  amongst  ourselves  the 
use  of  antidotes  does  not  go  very  far.  The  medicine- 
man, wTho  is  at  the  same  time  a  compounder  of  drugs, 
employs  during  their  preparation  a  certain  number  of 
ceremonies  and  words  without  which  they  would  lose 
their  virtue.  He  makes  a  great  secret  of  the  plants 
and  simples  he  uses,  and  puts  on  a  very  sapient  air 
when  questioned  upon  the  subject.  The  medicine-man 
is  a  person  of  great  importance,  and  many  solemn  acts 
require  his  presence.  He  decides  many  great  questions, 
his  opinion  prevailing  over  that  of  the  diviner 
(Ditangja),  and  he  never  pronounces  it  without  a 
preliminary  flourish,  in  the  shape  of  remedies  and 
ceremonies,  performed  now  with  plants,  now  with  the 
blood  of  human  creatures,  or  beasts,  and  on  which  are 
bestowed  the  name  of  medicinal  rites. 

The  diviner,  on  the  other  hand,  deals  in  divination 
and  nothing  else.  In  the  case  of  any  one  falling  sick, 
the  diviner  is  first  called  in  to  divine  whether  the 
attack  is  due  to  spirits  of  another  world,  or  to  sorcery, 
and  it  is  after  his  work  is  done  that  the  medicine-man 
is  applied  to. 


TWENTY  DAYS  OF  PROFOUND  ANXIETY.  133 


These  two  personages  always  perfectly  understand 
each  other. 

The  diviner  is  not  consulted  solely  in  cases  of 
disease  or  death,  he  is  appealed  to  in  all  conceivable 
matters  of  moment,  and  nothing  is  done  without  his 
being  first  called  in. 

In  questions  of  consultation,  he  takes  up  his  stand  in 
the  centre  of  a  circle  formed  by  the  people,  who  must 
be  seated.  He  brings  with  him  a  calabash  and  a  basket. 
The  calabash  contains  large  glass  beads  and  dried 
maize  ;  the  basket  is  full  of  the  queerest  odds  and  ends, 
such  as  human  bones,  dried  vegetables,  stones,  bits  of 
stick,  the  stones  of  fruit,  birds'  and  fishes'  bones,  &c. 

He  begins  by  shaking  the  calabash  about  in  the  most 
frantic  way,  and  during  the  rattle  consequent  on  the 
operation  he  invokes  the  malignant  spirits  ;  the  basket  is 
then  shaken  up,  and  in  the  articles  that  appear  upper- 
most be  reads  what  his  hearers  are  desirous  of  learning 
of  the  past,  present,  or  future.  I  found  this  ceremony 
to  be  in  use  from  the  time  of  my  leaving  the  coast,  but 
in  no  instance  carried  out  so  completely  as  here. 

I  spoke  of  malignant  spirits,  and  must  explain  that 
in  this  part  of  the  world  such  spirits  seem  to  be  on  a 
par,  in  the  way  of  mischief,  with  the  souls  of  the  other 
world  (Cassumbi),  and  with  the  sorcerers.  At  times, 
these  spirits  enter  into  the  body  of  some  unfortunate, 
and  it  is  a  very  expensive  matter  to  turn  them  out 
again.  On  other  occasions  they  play  higher  pranks, 
such  as  swooping  down  upon  a  village,  and  making 
such  a  disturbance  at  night  as  to  allow  no  one  to  have 
any  rest,  so  that  the  medicine-man  has  hard  work  to 
find  a  cure  and  exorcise  them. 

As  there  happened  to  be  a  diviner  in  the  village,  I 
turned  over  in  my  mind  whether  I  might  not  put  him 
to  some  account. 

I  therefore  called  him  apart,  made  him  sundry 


134 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


presents,  showed  him  very  great  respect,  and  pretended 
to  have  entire  belief  in  his  science. 

I  then  begged  him  to  divine  my  future  fate,  a  task 
which  he  readily  accepted,  calling  together  the  whole 
of  the  inmates  of  the  village,  and  many  of  the 
inhabitants  of  the  Capitao,  to  be  present  at  the  divi- 
nation. 

The  ceremony  was  performed  with  great  circum- 
stance, and  he  failed  not  to  read  in  the  fragments  of 
the  basket,  as  they  were  shaken  uppermost,  the  most 
flattering  things  concerning  me.  I  was  the  best  of 
white  men  past,  present  and  future ;  my  journey  was 
to  be  crowned  with  the  utmost  success,  and  happiness 
was  to  attend  all  those  who  went  with  me. 

This  prophecy  produced  the  best  effect,  and  no  doubt 
had  a  great  influence  over  the  result  of  my  departure 
from  the  Bihe. 

I  have  spoken  of  the  medicine-man  and  the  diviner, 
and  will  now  say  a  few  words  about  the  sorcerer. 
The  term  has  a  meaning  which,  though  possessing 
some  points  of  contact  with  the  signification  we  give 
to  it  in  Europe,  is  nevertheless  not  the  same  thing. 

In  South  Central  Africa  any  one  is,  or  may  become, 
a  sorcerer,  and  a  sorcerer  is  there  understood  to  be 
rather  a  poisoner  than  a  man  who  has  mastery  over 
spirits. 

In  fact,  sorcery  with  these  people  means  poison,  and 
to  use  sorcery  towards  any  one  is  to  give  poison,  causing 
sickness,  death,  or  insanity. 

This  is  the  rigorous  acceptation  of  the  word  ;  but 
any  way  the  belief  in  sorcery  may  occasion  an  immen- 
sity of  mischief,  and  as  every  tiling  tha  t  goes  wrong  is 
attributed  to  sorcery,  whether  the  loss  of  a  skirmish,  an 
epidemic  among  the  cattle,  the  visitation  of  storms,  &c, 
it  may  well  be  imagined  what  a  wide  field  is  opened  for 
malevolence. 


TWENTY  BAYS  OF  PROFOUND  ANXIETY. 


135 


It  must  not  be  imagined  that  there  are  sorcerers  by 
profession,  like  medicine-men  and  diviners.  The 
sorcerer  appears  as  a  cause  of  an  effect,  and  as  the 
cause  is  at  once  destroyed,  the  sorcerer  may  be  likened 
to  a  meteor  which  vanishes  almost  with  its  appear- 
ance. 

Besides  these  three  entities,  two  of  which  are  definite 
and  the  third  indefinite,  there  is  yet  another  pretender, 
who  enjoys  a  certain  importance  among  these  barbarous 
peoples. 

He  is  the  man  who  calls  down  and  stops  the  rain. 
He  is  one  of  a  class  who  arrogate  to  themselves  the 
power  of  governing  the  aqueous  meteors.  Possessing 
observant  minds,  these  men  know,  from  experience, 
that  with  certain  winds,  in  this  or  that  period  of  the 
year,  it  will  rain,  and  that  when  others  prevail  it  will 
be  dry.  And  making  use  of  these  signs,  which  are 
matters  of  common  observance  in  Europe,  and  are  even 
recommended  to  attention  by  men  of  science,  like 
Fitzroy  and  others,  they  form  with  tolerable  safety 
their  prognostics  of  the  weather,  trade  on  the  ignorance 
of  those  about  them,  and  claim  a  power  of  calling  down 
or  staying  rain,  having  previously  announced  that  it 
will  fall  or  cease. 

Poor  as  the  pretensions  of  these  fellows  are,  they 
nevertheless  impose  upon  the  natives,  for,  as  I  have 
observed,  by  dint  of  long  experience  and  careful  watch- 
ing they  do  not  often  make  mistakes. 

These  practices  that  may  appear  strange  in  the  eyes 
of  most  of  my  readers,  were  common  enough  in  Europe 
a  couple  of  centuries  ago,  and  among  the  poorer  classes 
of  our  agricultural  population  it  would  not  be  impossible, 
even  at  this  day,  to  find  them  existing. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  go  back  to  the  middle  ages  to 
meet  with  royal  personages  consulting  astrologers-,  and 
I  find  that  in  Portugal  a  book  was  printed,  with  all  the 


136 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


necessary  licences,  as  recently  as  1712,  which  its  author, 
Gaspar  Cardozo  de  Sequeira,  a  mathematician  of  the 
town  of  Murca,  entitled  4  Thesouro  de  Pmdentes' 
(subsequently  added  to  by  Goncalo  Gomes  Caldeira,  an 
engineer),  which  professes  to  teach  the  most  stupendous 
and  marvellous  things  to  men  of  culture — be  it 
remembered — inasmuch  as  the  people  at  large  were 
unable  at  that  period  to  read.  Facts  like  these  should 
make  us  charitable  in  judging  the  poor  blacks  of  South 
Africa. 

There  is  a  curious  law  established  in  the  country  in 
respect  of  women  who  die  in  childbirth. 

When  such  an  event  occurs,  it  is  the  duty  of  the 
husband  to  bury  his  wife  by  himself  alone,  he  carrying 
the  body  on  his  shoulders  to  the  burial-place  and  per- 
forming all  the  labour  of  interment  unassisted. 

He  is  then  bound  to  pay  the  value  of  her  life  to  her 
relations,  and  should  he  have  no  means  wherewith  to 
do  so,  he  must  become  their  slave.  The  graves  of  the 
mass  of  the  people  have  nothing  to  render  them 
distinguishable  ;  the  interments  are  made  in  any  spot 
in  the  neighbouring  wood  that  may  be  deemed 
suitable. 

When  I  have  occasion  to  speak  of  the  Bihe,  I  shall 
dwell  more  at  length  upon  certain  customs  prevalent  in 
these  countries,  and  which  I  had  opportunities  of  study- 
ing very  minutely,  more  especially  those  which  refer  to 
the  native  kings  and  grandees. 

Before  leaving  the  Caquingue  I  may  mention  that 
1  found  there  a  custom  peculiar  to  that  territory  and 
which  is  called  supporting  women.  When  a  woman  is 
enceinte,  a  young  man  will  apply  to  the  husband,  and 
ask  in  marriage  the  daughter  she  may  bring  forth,  and 
if  the  offer  be  accepted,  the  lover  will  thenceforth  be 
compelled  to  support  her,  that  is  to  say,  supply  her  with 
clothing,  and  satisfy  the  requirements  of  her  toilette. 


TWENTY  DAYS  OF  PROFOUND  ANXIETY.  137 


This  custom,  as  may  be  believed,  is  prevalent  only 
among  the  rich.  On  the  birth  of  the  infant,  the  future 
bridegroom  redoubles  his  presents  to  the  mother,  and 
is  under  obligation  to  supply  the  daughter  with  clothing 
until  the  age  of  puberty,  when  the  marriage  comes  olf. 
If,  however,  a  son  be  born,  the  obligation  to  clothe 
mother  and  son  is  incurred,  and  the  latter,  on  arriving 
at  man's  estate,  becomes  the  Quissongo  of  his  supporter. 
Later  on,  I  will  take  occasion  to  explain  the  meaning 
of  this  term. 

Strange  as  such  a  custom  appears  at  first  sight, 
it  loses  much  of  its  extraordinary  character  upon  re- 
flection. In  Africa,  I  met  with  it  in  the  Caquingue 
country  only ;  but  in  Europe  I  fancy  to  have  observed 
its  prevalence  in  very  many  instances,  not  in  form 
perhaps,  but  in  essence,  and  bearing  in  the  polished 
phrase  of  our  drawing-rooms  the  title  of  mariages  de 
convenance. 

Day  broke  on  the  5th  of  March,  1878,  after  a  most 
stormy  night,  in  wlnV.h  the  rain  had  come  down  in 
torrents.  My  fever  had  somewhat  abated,  but  the 
rheumatic  pains  were  more  persistent,  and  extended 
from  the  knees  to  the  ankles.  My  young  negro,  Pepeca, 
was  better,  so  I  resolved  to  start  again.  Apprehensive, 
however,  of  my  rheumatism,  I  hired  a  hammock  and 
bearers,  that  were  most  kindly  supplied  me  by  Francisco 
Goncalves  (Carique).  After  many  cordial  adieux,  I 
started  northwards  at  half  past  ten,  and  an  hour  later 
crossed  the  little  river  Cassonge,  which  runs  in  a  S.E. 
direction  into  the  Cuchi.  It  was  found  to  be  about  20 
feet  wide  by  6  feet  deep.  In  crossing,  my  saddle-ox, 
Bonito,  got  entangled  in  some  weeds,  lost  his  courage 
and  sank  to  the  bottom.  I  had  great  difficulty  in 
saving  him,  and  it  was  past  noon  before  we  could  re- 
sume our  journey. 

At  1.15  I  crossed  another  little  stream,  the  Go  vera, 


138 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


9  feet  wide  by  20  inches  deep,  and  at  1.45  camped 
S.S.W.  of  the  village  of  Chindua.  On  my  road  I  had 
passed  Dear  two  large  villages,  Cacurura  and  Cachota. 
I  had  already  reached  territory  that  owed  obedience 
to  the  native  king  of  the  Bihe,  and  found  the  country  all 
about  thickly  peopled  and  well  cultivated. 

During  the  night  the  rain  descended  in  torrents  and 
loud  claps  of  thunder  came  from  the  eastward.  My 
fever  had  completely  left  me,  but  the  rheumatic  pains 
went  on  progressing  in  violence  and  threatened  to 
extend  to  my  whole  body.  As  soon  as  it  was  light, 
the  owner  of  the  bridge  over  the  Cuchi  sent  to  advise 
me  to  cross  without  delay,  as  a  considerable  body  of 
natives  was  advancing  on  the  other  side.  The  bridge 
was,  like  most  of  them,  constructed  for  the  passage  of 
men  in  single  file,  wrhich,  of  course,  occupies  a  good 
deal  of  time ;  and  it  is  the  law  that,  when  once  a  party 
has  commenced  crossing,  any  coming  in  an  opposite 
direction  must  wait  till  the  bridge  is  clear.  Thanking 
the  messenger  for  the  advice,  I  broke  up  my  camp 
immediately,  and  was  able,  half  an  hour  later,  to  get 
possession  of  the  bridge. 

The  river  Cuchi  is  at  this  spot  27  yards  wide  by 
16  feet  deep,  and  runs  southward  to  the  Cubango. 

One  catches  a  glimpse  from  the  bridge  of  the  mag- 
nificent cataract  of  the  Cuchi,  rather  more  than  a 
mile  to  the  north,  the  roar  of  which  came  plainly  to 
the  ear. 

1  stopped  for  a  short  time  to  determine  the  altitude 
and  then  went  on  towards  E.N.E.  I  passed  the 
little  Liapera  rivulet  which  runs  into  the  Cuchi,  and 
then  altering  my  course  to  N.N.E.,  I  crossed  the 
Caruci  rivulet  which  flows  to  the  N.E.  into  the 
Cuqueima  ;  I  there  took  a  noon-day  rest  in  the  Charo 
Woods,  situated  to  the  S.  W.  of  the  village  of  Ungundo. 

The  two  rivulets  above  mentioned,  the  Liapera  and 


1WENTY  DAYS  OF  PROFOUND  ANXIETY.  139 


the  Caruci,  mark  the  separation  of  the  waters  which 
drain  into  the  Cubango  and  the  Cuanza. 

The  chief  of  the  village  of  Ungundo,  by  name 
Chaquimbaia,  paid  me  a  complimentary  visit,  bringing 
with  him  a  pig  and  one  or  two  fowls.  I  reciprocated  the 
civility  and  procured  from  him  guides  to  accompany  me 
on  the  following  morning.  During  the  whole  of  that 
day  I  fell  in,  on  my  road,  with  many  bands  of  armed 
men,  who  were  on  their  way  to  join  the  forces  of  the 
native  king  of  Caquingue,  and  even  after  I  had  camped 
for  the  night,  a  large  number  of  negroes,  equipped  for 
war,  passed  by,  bound  on  the  same  errand. 

Between  7  and  9  p.m.  there  was  a  moderate  fall  of 
rain,  and  in  the  N.E.  distant  sounds  of  thunder 
were  audible.  The  storm  came  nearer  and  spread,  so 
that  by  nine  o'clock  there  were  claps  of  thunder  from 
various  points  of  the  horizon,  which  seemed  to  be  all 
converging  upon  my  camp,  which  was  situated  on  a 
height.  At  ten,  five  distinct  thunder-claps  burst  upon 
us  at  once,  and  the  most  horrible  tempest  it  has  ever 
been  my  fate  to  witness  broke  loose  in  all  its  fury.  The 
flashes  of  lightning  succeeded  each  other  with  intervals 
of  three  to  five  seconds,  and  the  crash  of  the  thunder 
was  simply  incessant. 

The  air  was  as  yet  perfectly  calm,  and  but  a  few 
large  rain-drops  were  observable. 

The  fall  in  the  barometer  was  scarcely  perceptible, 
and  the  thermometer  maintained  a  temperature  of  16 
degrees  Centigrade.  The  magnetic  needles  lost  their 
polarity,  and  were  in  a  constant  state  of  oscillation. 

One  of  Duchemin's  circular  compasses  went  rapidly 
round  and  round. 

This  state  of  things  lasted  until  eleven  o'clock,  when 
there  was  another  change,  even  more  terrible  than 
before.  A  wind  of  excessive  violence,  in  fact  a  perfect 
hurricane,  came  down  from  the  eastward,  and  in  an 


140 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


instant  veered  from  point  to  point  of  the  compass,  until 
it  settled  in  the  S.W.  A  perfect  deluge  of  rain 
followed.  The  wind,  in  its  fury,  literally  carried  our 
huts  into  the  air  from  above  our  heads,  and  left  us  thus 
unsheltered  and  exposed  to  the  pitiless  rain,  which  fell 
in  torrents  until  four  in  the  morning,  when  the  tempest 
began  to  abate. 

No  man  who  has  not  himself  experienced  it,  can 
form  the  slightest  conception  of  what  a  tempest  is  at 
night  in  the  middle  of  a  forest  in  Central  Africa, 
where,  to  the  reverberations  of  the  thunder,  are  added 
the  innumerable  sounds  of  the  wild  denizens  of  the 
jungle,  answering  with  discordant  cries  the  voices  of 
the  elements  at  strife. 

The  rain  soon  extinguished  our  fires,  the  wind 
carried  off  the  wreckage  of  the  huts,  and  the  lightning 
in  its  zig-zag  course  only  served  by  its  momentary 
brilliancy  to  show  the  havoc  which  the  storm  had 
made. 

From  time  to  time  to  the  crash  of  the  thunderbolt 
succeeded  another  sound,  which  caused  no  less  alarm. 
Some  giant  tree,  a  very  monarch  of  the  woods,  which 
it  had  taken  ages  to  bring  to  its  state  of  maturity,  was 
struck  to  the  very  heart  and  went  toppling  down,  de- 
stroying others  in  its  fall. 

Truly  a  horrible  spectacle,  but  one  fraught  with 
grandeur  and  sublimity ! 

Day  broke  at  length,  and  displayed  many  a  gap 
in  the  forest  about  us,  occupied  the  day  before  by 
some  magnificent  tree,  and  the  earth  so  soaked  with 
moisture  that  it  yielded  water  to  the  tread  like  a 
sponge. 

The  horrors  of  the  night  had  painfully  affected  my 
mind,  but  they  were  absorbed,  as  morning  appeared, 
by  my  physical  suffering.  An  attack  of  rheumatism  of 
more  than  usual  intensity  affected  my  every  joint,  and 


TWENTY  DAYS  OF  PROFOUND  ANXIETY.  141 


took  from  me  all  power  of  helping  myself.  When 
we  started,  therefore,  at  noon  I,  stretched  upon  my 
hammock,  had  to  exercise  no  common  command  over 
myself  to  stifle  in  my  throat  the  groans  and  cries 
provoked  by  the  intense  suffering  which  the  movement 
of  the  hammock  caused  me. 

We  had  not  been  more  than  an  hour  on  the  road 
than  we  found  ourselves  in  an  extensive  bog  where 
the  water  came  up  to  the  waist-cloths  of  my  bearers. 

The  earth,  soddened  by  the  enormous  quantity  of 
rain  that  had  fallen  during  the  night,  appeared  to  be 
transformed  into  one  vast  marsh.  We  reached  some 
higher  ground,  after  great  difficulty,  but  met  with 
little  improvement  in  our  condition  as,  at  2  p.m.,  a 
fresh  storm,  this  time  from  the  eastward,  burst  upon  us. 
From  my  hammock,  where  I  was  lying  a  prey  to  the 
acutest  pain,  I  encouraged  my  people  to  push  forward, 
as  I  wished  to  reach  the  village  of  Belanga  before 
night. 

I  have  no  recollection  of  anything  more  till  the 
following  day  when,  awaking  as  from  a  trance,  I  found 
myself  lying  in  a  hut  with  Yerissimo  standing  by  my 
side.  He  informed  me  I  was  at  Belanga,  in  the  vil- 
lage of  Vicentes  ;  but  I  had  not  the  slightest  idea 
either  of  the  road  we  had  come  or  the  night  we  had 
passed  through,  although  by  my  followers'  account  it 
must  have  been  a  horrible  one.  I  had,  in  fact,  for  the 
time  succumbed  to  fever  and  delirium. 

I  found  my  head  somewhat  clearer,  but  my  pains 
acuter,  if  possible,  than  before.  I  could  not  make  the 
slightest  motion,  and  my  very  fingers  refused  to  bend.  I 
was  fortunate,  in  this  deplorable  position,  to  have  such 
kind  hearts  about  me,  for  Yerissimo  and  my  negroes 
lavished  on  me  every  possible  care. 

I  learned  that  the  river  Cuqueima  was  extraordi- 
narily full,  and  that  to  wade  across  it  was  simply 


142 


THE  KINO'S  RIFLE. 


impossible ;  but  hearing  that  a  small  canoe  was  to  be 
had  just  below  the  cataract,  I  determined  to  go  on  and 
pass  the  river  at  that  spot. 

On  reaching  the  stream,  it  became  necessary  to  caulk 
the  canoe  with  moss,  for  it  was  a  wretched  old  thing 
and  would  barely  sustain  the  weight  of  a  couple  of 
men.  The  river,  swollen  with  the  late  rains,  was 
rushing  along  with  great  rapidity.  After  leaping  over 
the  rocks  which  formed  the  cataract,  the  waters  divided, 
leaving  an  islet  in  the  centre,  and  shortly  after  they 
blended  again  into  one  channel,  some  110  yards  wide. 

That  was  the  spot  selected  for  crossing.  I  was  laid 
at  the  bottom  of  the  canoe  with  the  utmost  care, 
as  every  involuntary  jolt  wrung  from  me  a  cry  of 
pain. 

A  skilful  boatman  handed  the  paddle,  and  the  canoe 
left  the  bank. 

The  space  to  be  traversed,  as  I  have  mentioned 
above,  was  scarcely  more  than  110  yards,  but  the 
water  was  not  only  made  perilous  by  the  rapidity  of 
the  current,  but  by  the  excessive  "  choppiness  "  of  the 
surface  caused  by  the  proximity  of  the  falls. 

The  boatman  steered  his  canoe  for  the  ait,  and  until 
he  reached  the  junction  of  the  waters  all  went  right 
enough ;  but  there  the  fragile  skiff,  caught  in  the 
furious  eddies,  could  not  be  persuaded  to  advance  a  foot 
in  spite  of  all  the  skill  and  strength  of  the  negro.  As 
I  lay,  I  saw  the  water  leaping  in  foamy  waves  about 
us,  becoming  larger  and  more  threatening  as  we  got 
more  into  the  current,  and  I  began  to  comprehend  the 
extreme  peril  in  which  I  was  placed. 

I  tried  to  move  one  of  my  arms,  but  only  called  forth 
a  groan  with  the  effort.  I  gave  myself  up  for  lost,  for 
if  the  canoe  went  to  the  bottom  I  was  surely  incapable 
of  swimming.  The  canoe,  worked  upon  by  the  eddies 
of  the  seething  water,  would  not  go  forward,  and 


TWENTY  DAYS  OF  PROFOUND  ANXIETY.  143 


suddenly  the  unfortunate  skiff  began  to  whirl  round 
itself-  My  boatman,  apprehending  we  should  go  to 
the  bottom,  determined  to  jump  overboard  to  lighten 
the  canoe,  and  warning  me  of  his  intention,  leaped 
into  the  stream. 

The  canoe,  thus  lightened,  floated  certainly  higher, 
but  scarcely  improved  my  position,  as  it  was  now  at  the 
entire  mercy  of  the  rushing  water. 

All  of  a  sudden,  a  wave  leaped  over  the  side  and 
soaked  me  through.  My  senses  for  the  time  almost 
forsook  me,  and  I  scarcely  knew  what  occurred  until  I 
found  myself  swimming  with  one  arm  with  all  my 
remaining  strength,  whilst  the  other  hand  was  en- 
deavouring to  keep  from  out  the  water  one  of  the 
chronometers  I  happened  to  have  with  me. 

My  sensations  returned  in  the  act  of  swimming, 
and  I  remember  being  conscious  of  a  certain  pride  in 
thus  buffeting  with  and  overcoming  the  waves ;  a  task 
that  would  have  been  easy  enough  to  me  under  ordi- 
nary circumstances,  as  I  had  been  accustomed  from 
childhood  to  wrestle  with  the  rapids  of  my  native  Douro. 

The  negroes,  who  are  ever  ready  to  admire  feats  of 
physical  skill,  stood  upon  the  bank  and  animated  me 
with  cries  of  applause. 

My  pains  had  ceased,  my  fever  was  gone,  as  if  by 
magic,  and  I  felt,  whilst  the  excitement  lasted,  as 
though  my  strength  had  returned  to  me. 

When  the  canoe  foundered,  out  of  a  hundred  men 
that  were  present  at  the  spectacle  and  stood  open- 
mouthed  and  undecided  as  they  looked  on,  one  at  least 
tempted  the  perils  of  the  waters  and  leaped  in  to  save 
me.  A  less  skilful  swimmer  than  myself,  he  did  not 
reach  the  bank  till  after  I  had  done  so,  nor  did  he 
render  me  any  help ;  but  his  devotion,  at  such  a  time, 
made  a  deep  impression  upon  me  which  wTill  never  be 
effaced.    He  was  one  of  my  own  negroes,  Garanganja, 


144 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


who,  poor  fellow,  subsequently  wrent  out  of  bis  mind, 
unable  to  bear  up  against  the  misery  and  privations  to 
which  we  were  subjected. 

When  I  got  to  land  I  found  myself,  as  I  have 
mentioned,  without  either  pain  or  fever.  I  stripped  at 
once ;  but  unfortunately  I  had  no  change  of  clothes,  as 
the  whole  of  the  baggage  was  still  on  the  other  side  of 
the  stream,  so  that  I  was  compelled  to  remain  exposed 
to  the  burning  rays  of  the  sun  until  they  had  thoroughly 
dried  my  things.  The  consequence  was,  the  pains  and 
fever  came  back  with  redoubled  violence,  and  I  remem- 
ber no  more  until  I  found  myself  next  day  lying  on  a 
bed  in  the  compound  of  the  Annunciada,  the  late 
dwelling-place  of  the  trader  Guilherme  Goncalves, 
Yerissimo's  father. 

Backed  as  I  was  with  pain,  and  burning  with  fever, 
but  somewhat  better  for  the  long  rest,  I  decided  on 
leaving,  so  great  was  my  anxiety  to  meet  with  my 
companions. 

I  started  at  11  a.m.,  and  on  the  road  crossed  a 
plain  covered  with  enormous  ferns,  and  observed  a 
number  of  trees  that  had  been  struck  by  lightning.  I 
saw  also  a  plant  that  grew  abundantly  thereabouts  and 
which,  if  not  the  gorse  that  is  met  with  on  the 
lofty  mountains  to  the  north  of  Portugal,  is  wonderfully 
like  it. 

My  eyes,  that  are  but  little  accustomed  to  that 
keenness  of  observation  which  the  study  of  the  vege- 
table world  demands,  are  not  sufficiently  tutored  to 
distinguish  species,  genera  and  families,  unless  the 
difference  be  strongly  marked. 

I  arrived  at  Silva  Porto's  village  (Belmonte)  at  one 
in  the  afternoon,  and  by  making  a  supreme  effort 
reached  the  house  of  my  late  companions. 

Confirming  verbally  what  they  had  told  me  in 
writing,  they  said  they  had  determined  to  go  on  alone, 


TWENTY  DAYS  OF  PROFOUND  ANXIETY.  145 


and  would  leave  me  a  third  part  of  the  goods  and 
stores,  saving  such  things  as  were  incapable  of  division, 
which  they  would  retain  themselves.  Ivens  offered  to 
accompany  me  back  to  Benguella,  seeing  the  precarious 
state  of  my  health,  if  I  made  up  my  mind  to  return 
to  Europe. 

I  could  but  express  my  gratitude  for  so  generous 
and  disinterested  an  offer. 


VOL.  I. 


L 


146 


TEE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

BELMONTE. 

In  the  Bihe — Severe  Illness — Improvement — Belmonte — I  determine  to  start 
for  the  Upper  Zambesi — Letters  to  the  Government — How  the  Expedi- 
tion was  organised  in  the  Bihe — Difficulties,  and  how  they  were  over- 
come— Historical  and  Social  Notes  on  the  Bihe — My  Labours — New 
Difficulties — I  leave  Belmonte — The  Road  to  the  Cuanza — Slavery. 

After  the  twenty  days  of  toil,  anxiety,  and  suffering 
detailed  in  the  last  chapter,  I  found  myself  at  length 
in  the  Bihe — very  ill,  it  is  true,  but  full  of  faith,  and 
satisfied  with  what  I  had  done. 

Directly  after  my  conversation  with  my  late  com- 
panions, I  left  Belmonte  and  was  conveyed  in  my 
hammock  to  the  neighbouring  village  of  Magalhaes, 
where,  on  my  arrival,  I  dropped  without  strength  or 
motion  on  to  my  couch  of  skins.  The  first  symptoms 
of  inflammation  of  the  brain  (meningitis)  became  per- 
ceptible in  the  pace  that  the  rheumatic  pains  were 
increasing  in  intensity. 

On  the  following  day  Capello  and  Ivens  came  to  see 
me  and  bring  me  medicines.  I  rapidly  grew  worse 
till  delirium  took  possession  of  my  senses. 

When  I  recovered  consciousness,  I  thought  I  was 
in  a  dream.  I  perceived  that  I  was  lying  on  a  magni- 
ficent bed,  divested  of  my  clothes  and  between  fine 
linen  sheets.  The  bed  was  upholstered  with  elegant 
curtains  of  pink  rep  with  a  snowy  white  fringe. 

I  was  informed  that  Capello  had  come  during  my 
delirium  and  had  ordered  the  bed  to  be  sent  me  from 


BELMONTE. 


147 


Silva  Porto's  house  at  Belmonte.  I  bad  much  ado 
to  believe  that  an  article  of  such  luxury  existed  at 
the  Bihe. 

My  attendants  had  literally  covered  me  with  leeches, 
and  the  amount  of  blood  they  had  drawn  from  me 
left  me  in  a  state  of  indescribable  weakness.  The 
pains  had  somewhat  subsided,  but  the  fever  still  con- 
tinued. On  the  evening  of  that  day  the  negroes  of 
Novo  Redondo  waited  upon  me,  and  I  received  them 
before  Magalhaes,  Yerissimo,  and  Joaquirn  Guilherme 
Jose  Goncalves,  eldest  brother  of  Verissimo.  The 
object  of  their  visit  was  to  tell  me  that  they  did  not 
wish  to  go  on  wTith  my  companions,  and  that  they 
would  either  follow  me  or  return  homewards. 

After  a  great  deal  of  trouble  I  managed  to  persuade 
them  to  alter  their  determination  and  not  to  leave  my 
friends.  I  then  learned  that  Capello  and  Iveris  were 
busily  engaged  in  constructing  an  encampment,  some 
three  miles  distance  ;  that  they  were  having  all  their 
baggage  conveyed  thither,  and  intended  shortly  quit- 
ing  Belmonte. 

A  couple  of  days  later  Ivens  called  on  me,  and  we 
had  a  long  talk.  I  gave  him  all  the  letters  of  recom- 
mendation with  which  I  had  bemi  favoured  by  Silva 
Porto  in  Benguella  for  the  obtaining  carriers,  and  I 
undertook  not  to  apply  to  the  native  king,  Quilemo, 
for  any  men — thus  leaving  the  field  entirely  open 
to  himself  and  Capello.  Ivens  informed  me  that  they 
intended  moving  into  their  encampment  and  tbat 
they  would  leave  me  my  share  of  the  baggage  in 
Silva  Porto's  house.  In  return  I  delivered  over  to 
him  all  the  loads  I  had  brought  with  me,  together 
with  those  under  the  care  of  Barros,  which  had  already 
arrived  in  safety.  Barros  himself  declared  that  he 
had  no  wish  to  go  any  farther,  so  I  dismissed  him — as 
I  did  also  some  of  the  Benguella  negroes,  who  did 

l  2 


148 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


not  care  to  continue  the  journey.  I  wrote  a  few  lines 
to  Pereira  de  Mello,  which  the  state  of  my  health  did 
not  allow  me  to  extend,  and  then  begged  to  be  left 
alone. 

Quite  worn-out  with  such  unwonted  exertion  I  was 
about  to  turn  in  to  the  sheets  and  seek  in  sleep  a 
relief  from  pain  and  worry,  when  there  rose  up  before 
me,  like  a  spectre,  a  tall,  lean  man,  with  cold  and 
impassive  look,  and  strongly-marked  features.  It 
wTas  my  prisoner,  the  chief  Palanca,  the  counsellor 
and  friend  of  the  native  king  of  the  Dumbo  in  the 
Sambo  country,  whom  I  had,  truth  to  tell,  entirely 
forgotten. 

"  Thou  hast  dealt  according  to  thy  will  with  all  thy 
people,"  was  his  greeting.  "  Some  thou  hast  dismissed 
and  others  thou  hast  retained ;  what  dost  thou  deter- 
mine with  respect  to  me ;  and  what  is  to  be  my 
fate?" 

"  Thou  shalt  return  to  thy  home,"  I  replied;  "thou 
shalt  take  back  to  the  Dumbo  the  gun  I  promised  the 
king,  together  with  some  powder ;  and  thou  shalt 
also  take  with  thee  a  present  for  thyself.  I  owe  thee 
some  reparation  for  the  rope  put  about  thy  neck  at 
the  Cubango,  and  for  the  cords  with  which  thy  hands 
and  feet  were  bound." 

I  then  called  Yerissimo  and  gave  him  the  necessary 
instructions  for  the  purpose. 

Palanca,  as  impassible  in  face  of  freedom  and  of 
guerdons  as  he  had  been  in  that  of  imprisonmeni  and 
impending  death,  retired  without  a  word,  and  I  saw 
him  no  more. 

The  door  which  let  out  the  grim  chief  of  the  Sambo, 
gave  entrance  to  two  other  visitors.  It  was  destined 
that  I  should  have  but  little  rest  on  the  first  day  of 
improvement  in  my  health.  They  were  two  confidential 
negroes.  Cahinga  and  Jamba,  sent  me  by  Silva  Porto 


BELMONTE. 


149 


from  Benguella.  They  were  profuse  in  their  compli- 
ments and  offers  of  service,  which,  however  flattering 
to  my  self-love,  I  could  well  have  dispensed  with  just 
then.  I  got  rid  of  them  at  last,  and  with  a  sentiment 
of  immense  relief,  found  myself  between  the  sheets,  and 
alone ! 

And  yet  not  quite  alone,  though  the  companion  left 
to  me  would  in  no  way  disturb  my  rest.  By  my  side, 
the  place  she  .best  loved  to  occupy,  was  the  creature 
that  proved  my  greatest  comfort  in  my  journey  across 
Africa.  It  was  Cora,  my  pet  goat,  her  fore-paws  rest- 
ing on  the  bed,  that,  with  low  bleating,  whilst  she 
licked  my  hands,  sought  the  caresses  of  which  she  had 
been  so  long  deprived. 

On  the  following  day  Capello  and  Ivens  sent  me 
notice  that  they  were  moving  out  of  Silva  Porto's  house, 
and  in  consequence  I  had  myself  conveyed  thither  in 
my  hammock.  I  found  they  had  left  me  seven  loads  of 
goods,  six  cases  of  provisions,  a  trunk  with  instruments, 
and  three  Snider  rifles. 

The  settlement  of  Silva  Porto,  or  more  correctly 
speaking  the  village  of  Belmonte,  is  situated  upon  the 
highest  portion  of  a  rising  ground,  whose  northern 
declivity  slopes  gently  down  to  the  bed  of  the  river 
Cuito,  which  flows  eastward  into  the  Cuqueima. 

The  position  of  the  place  is  very  charming,  and  from 
a  strategic  point  of  view  is  strong. 

Within  its  enclosure  is  an  orange  orchard,  where  the 
trees  are  ever  covered  with  fruit  and  blossom,  which  I 
found  was  not  the  case  with  any  others  in  the  Bine'. 
This  orchard  is  surrounded  by  a  hedge  of  rose-bushes, 
that  attain  to  the  height  of  ten  feet  and  are  never 
without  flowers. 

Enormous  sycamores  give  shade  to  the  streets  and 
surround  the  village,  which  is  further  defended  by  a 
strong  wooden  stockade. 


150 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


Under  those  orange-trees,  whose  perfumed  shade 
protected  me  from  the  burning  sun,  how  many  hours, 
how  many  days,  indeed,  did  I  not  spend,  pondering 
over  my  position,  and  weaving  projects  more  or  less 
reasonable ! 

It  was  there,  with  my  limbs  still  quivering  with  pain, 
and  burning  with  fever,  that  I  conceived  and  organised 
in  my  mind  the  plan  which  I  was  subsequently  spared 
to  realise. 

If  I  feel  proud  of  any  portion  of  my  journey,  the 
feeling  certainly  belongs  to  this  particular  period. 


Fig.  17. — View  of  the  Exterior  of  the  Village  of 
Be i.monte  in  the  Bihe. 


Later  on  I  frequently  jeopardised  my  life  ;  more  than 
once  my  boldness  took  the  character  of  rashness ;  but  it 
was  the  thought  of  my  own  safety,  as  I  believed,  that 
urged  me  on.  Not  so  in  this  place.  I  was  exhausted 
by  disease  and  had  but  few  resources  left  me.  The 
road  to  Benguella  and  to  Europe  was  open  to  me,  and 
might  be  traversed  with  comparative  facility.  And  as 
I  turned  my  glances  in  the  opposite  direction  a  thousand 
difficulties,  arising  from  my  separation  from  my 
companions,  seemed  to  stand  in  the  way  and  nresent  a 


BELMONTE. 


151 


barrier  almost  impossible  to  surmount,  in  regard  to  any- 
further  exploration.  And  as  if  this  were  not  enough, 
the  few  followers  who  stood  by  me  appeared  to  have 
lost  all  heart. 

And  hence  arises  that  feeling  of  pride  and  self- 


Ell 


□  □□□□□□ 

□  □  *   □  □ 


0 


 o 

□ 


'□  □  □  □  □□  □ 


Fig.  18. — Plan  of  the  Village  of  Belmonte  in  the  Bihe. 

oi   Sycamores.    .  Strong  wooden  stockade.  Garden  Palisade  covered 

with  ever-blooming  rose-trees.  *»\  Pomegranates.  CCcD  Orange-trees. 
{      ^  Gardens.    OHJ-  Cemetery.    Q  Negroes'  houses. 

1.  Entrance  of  the  Village.  2.  Entrance  into  Silva  Porto's  house.  3.  House. 
4.  Interior  pateo  or  courtyard.  5.  Kitchen  and  storeroom.  6.  Servants' 
houses.    7.  Warehouse. 

satisfaction  to  which  I- have  alluded.  For  situated  as  I 
was,  scarcely  able  to  crawl,  the  determination  grew 
within  me  not  to  turn  my  back  upon  the  unknown 
regions  that  lay  before  me,  let  them  be  as  full  of 
horrors  as  they  might,  but  to  overcome  one  by  one  the 


152 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


obstacles  as  they  arose ;  to  reconstruct  the  edifice  I  had 
raised  with  so  much  labour  and  thought,  and  which 
had  toppled  over  like  a  child's  house  of  cards  ;  to  create 
resources  where  they  had  no  existence  ;  and  to  organise 
a  fresh  and  grander  expedition  out  of  the  ruins  of  the 
one  which  had  come  to  so  untimely  an  end. 

My  resolve  once  taken,  I  lost  no  time  in  putting 
it  into  execution.  I  began  by  engaging  Verissimo 
G  on  calves  to  accompany  me,  and  managed  to  make 
him  blindly  subservient  to  my  wishes. 

After  patient  study  of  the  direction  I  proposed  to 
pursue,  I  determined  to  make  directly  for  the  Upper 
Zambesi,  following  tbe  lofty  ridge  of  the  country 
in  which  the  rivers  of  that  part  of  Africa  take  their 
rise. 

On  arriving  at  the  Zambesi,  I  resolved  to  travel 
eastward  and  survey  the  affluents  of  the  left  bank  of 
the  stream,  and  descending  to  the  Zumbo,  proceed 
thence  to  Quillimane  by  Tete  and  Senna. 

The  most  experienced  traders,  who  heard  of  my 
project,  assured  me  that  I  should  not  get  half-way  to 
the  Zambesi,  and  I  believe  they  thought  me  not  quite 
right  in  my  mind  to  attempt  it. 

I  let  them  talk,  and  went  quietly  on  with  the  organi- 
sation of  my  staff  and  the  preparation  of  the  materials 
necessary  for  my  plans. 

On  the  27th  day  of  March,  being  the  first  on  which 
I  was  enabled  to  use  my  pen  freely,  I  wrote  to  the 
Home  Government,  and  to  Pereira  de  Mello  and  Silva 
Porto.  I  gave  them  an  account  of  what  had  occurred 
up  to  that  time,  and  begged  of  them  assistance  and 
advice,  whilst  I  submitted  my  projects  to  their  critical 
examination.  I  despatched  porters  to  Benguella  with 
the  letters  and  then  went  on  with  my  work,  feeling 
daily  more  confidence  in  myself. 

It  will  scarcely  be  credited  that  a  great  portion  of 


BELMONTE. 


153 


the  baggage  left  at  Benguella  in  November,  five 
months  previously,  had  not  yet  reached  my  hands ! 

One  morning,  shortly  after  my  taking  up  my 
temporary  abode  in  the  village,  there  appeared 
before  me  the  ex-chefe  of  Caconda,  and  the  exiled 
Domingos,  who  were  on  their  way  back  to  that  little 
town.  They  stated  that  on  their  arrival  at  the  Bihe 
they  had  been  engaged  by  Capello  and  Ivens  in  con- 
structing their. encampment,  and  in  conveying  thither 
the  goods  that  were  stored  at  Belmonte. 

Ensign  Castro  was  considerably  depressed  in  spirit, 
and  out  of  the  cases  of  provisions  left  me  by  Ivens  I 
gave  him  a  supply  of  sugar,  tea,  coffee,  and  other 
necessaries  to  help  him  on  his  journey. 

I  fancy  that  that  gentleman,  after  being  the  cause  of 
the  sufferings  I  had  to  undergo,  and  the  fearful  risks  I 
had  to  run,  can  find  no  reason  to  complain  of  the  way 
I  received  him  at  the  Bihe',  if  truth  or  justice  has  any 
place  in  his  heart. 

As  to  Domingos,  if  I  remember  rightly,  I  gave  him 
a  letter  of  recommendation  to  the  governor  of  Benguella, 
whom  he  was  desirous  of  approaching  to  solicit  some 
favour. 

It  was  in  this  way  I  treated  the  two  men  who  had 
worked  me  most  evil  in  Africa,  for  it  was  undoubtedly 
through  them  I  had  to  face  such  mortal  perils,  with 
inefficient  means  and  ere  I  had  experience  to  avoid  or 
vanquish  them. 

At  the  beginning  of  April,  being  then  much  improved 
in  health,  I  had  sixty  carriers  in  readiness,  and  only 
waited  for  the  arrival  of  the  Benguella  loads  to  make 
up  my  packages  and  take  a  fresh  departure. 

My  life  was  at  that  time  one  of  incessant  toil ;  and  I 
was  using  every  leisure  moment  in  compiling  a  book 
of  notes  and  data,  so  as  to  have  at  hand  the  formulae 
that  were  necessary  for  my   calculations.  Amongst 


154 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


other  things  I  was  making  tables  of  square  and  cube 
roots  which  I  calculated  for  numbers  1  to  1000.  I 
drew  up  with  immense  labour  sundry  trigonometrical 
forms,  for  in  Europe,  in  order  to  render  my  tables  of 
logarithms  more  portable,  I  had  had  them  bound, 
suppressing  the  explanatory  portions  ;  and  through  a 
deplorable  oversight,  in  packing  off  to  Portugal  from 
Loando  a  quantity  of  presumably  useless  baggage,  my 
mathematical  books  got  put  up  with  the  rest. 

Let  not  the  learned  contemptuously  smile  at  my 
simplicity  while  recounting  the  difficulties  I  had  to 
struggle  with  in  the  Bihe,  in  order  to  succeed  in  tran- 
scribing upon  paper  formulae  of  so  common  a  kind.  A 
man  who  is  unaccustomed  to  expound  mathematics  finds 
himself  not  unfrequently  at  a  considerable  loss  to 
solve  a  very  simple  question,  when  he  cannot  lay 
his  hand  upon  a  book  which  would  freshen  his  dull 
memory.  At  the  Bihe  all  my  books  were  wanting, 
and  I  therefore  set  myself  to  work  to  supply  the 
deficiency,  and  whether  people  may  laugh  or  not, 
1  tell  them  frankly  it  was  a  hard  nut  to  crack.  My 
entire  library  consisted  of  three  almanacks  for  1878, 
1879  and  1880,  the  tables  of  logarithms  I  have  before 
referred  to,  without  any  explanatory  matter  whatsoever, 
the  Eurico  of  Herculano,  a  volume  of  poetry  of  Casimiro 
d' Abreu,  and  a  little  book  of  Flamarion's,  As  Maravilhas 
Celestes. 

It  must  be  confessed  that  there  was  but  little  to  be 
got  out  of  them  to  refresh  one's  memory  upon  questions 
of  x  and  y. 

But  my  difficulties  did  not  stop  there.  I  had  to  do 
and  think  about  a  lot  of  things  at  one  and  the  same 
time, — and  things  too  which  were  somewhat  incompat- 
ible with  each  other.  For  instance,  when  I  had  almost 
succeeded  in  reconstructing  one  of  the  formulae  of  Neper 
for  solving  spherical  triangles,  in  would  come  one  of  the 


BELMONTE. 


155 


young  niggers  to  inquire  whether  the  fowl  for  dinner 
was  to  be  boiled  or  roasted.  (By-the-bye,  during  my 
stay  in  the  Bine,  I  consumed  one  hundred  and  sixty- 
nine  fowls  !)  No  sooner  had  I  got  to  work  again,  after 
this  interruption,  than  another  of  the  fellows  would 
make  his  appearance,  requesting  a  bit  of  soap  to  wash 
the  linen.  He  would  perhaps  be  followed  by  some 
carriers  who  wanted  specially  to  speak  with  me ;  and  I 
was  not  unfrequently  bothered  by  envoys  from  the  native 
chief,  whose  sole  object  was  to  dun  me  out  of  some 
yards  of  cloth.  Truly  my  patience  was  often  sorely 
tried. 

I  had  made,  and  continued  making,  a  great  number 
of  meteorological  observations. 

My  chronometers  were  perfectly  regulated  and  my 
position  determined.  Sundry  excursions  which  I  made 
in  the  country,  with  my  compass  in  hand,  allowed  me 
to  draw  up  a  map,  a  rough  one,  it  is  true,  but  as  nearly 
correct  as  could  be  expected  or  required  on  a  journey  of 
exploration.  Notwithstanding  all  this  hard  work,  or 
perhaps  in  consequence  of  it,  my  mind  was  at  ease  and 
I  gave  but  scant  thought  to  the  tribulations  I  had  to 
undergo,  when  I  left  this  quiet  shelter  of  Bihe'  behind 
me. 

Before  resuming  the  narrative  of  my  adventures,  my 
readers  will  not  deem  it  amiss  if  I  say  a  few  words  about 
this  country,  so  important  and  wealthy  and  yet  so  little 
known  to  us  in  Portugal,  where  such  knowledge  should, 
nevertheless,  be  of  the  highest  interest. 

The  Bihe'  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  country 
of  the  Andulo ;  on  the  N.W.  by  the  Bailundo  ;  on 
the  west  by  the  Moma  country ;  on  the  S.W.  by 
the  Gonzellos  of  Caquingne ;  and  on  the  south  and  east 
by  the  free  Ganguellas  tribes.  The  river  Cuqueima  is 
almost  a  natural  boundary  of  the  Bihe  on  the  west, 
south  and  east ;  but,  in  point  of  fact,  the  authority  of 


156 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


the  native  king  of  the  Bihe  extends  beyond  that  river 
at  various  points.  The  country  is  small  in  extent,  but 
is  thickly  peopled  for  Africa. 

I  roughly  estimated  its  area  at  2500  square  miles, 
and  a  still  rougher  calculation  made  me  estimate  its 
population  at  95,000  inhabitants,  yielding  thus  barely 
38  inhabitants  to  the  square  mile  ;  and.  although  this 
number  appears  to  us  very  small,  as  being  less  than  a 
third  of  that  in  our  own  country,  it  is  considerable  for 
South  Central  Africa,  where  the  population  is,  as  a  rule, 
very  scattered. 

Not  so  very  long  ago,  this  territory  of  the  Bihe'  was 
covered  with  dense  jungle,  abounded  in  elephants,  and 
boasted  but  a  few  sparse  hamlets  inhabited  by  the  Gan- 
guella  race. 

The  river  Cuanza,  after  its  confluence  with  the 
Cuqueima,  divides  the  Andulo  country  from  that  of  the 
Gamba,  which  lies  to  the  eastward.  The  monarch  or 
Sova  of  the  Gamba  was  a  certain  Bomba,  who  had  a 
daughter  of  extreme  beauty  called  Cahanda.  This 
Sova  Bomba  resided  on  the  left  bank  of  the  river 
Loando,  an  affluent  of  the  Cuanza. 

It  happened  that  the  beautiful  princess  Cahanda 
requested  her  father's  permission  to  visit  certain  relatives, 
ladies  of  distinction  in  the  village  of  Ungundo,  the 
only  place  of  any  importance  in  the  Bihe  of  those  days. 

King  Bomba's  daughter  having  gone  on  this  visit, 
it  also  happened  that  a  famous  elephant  hunter  by  the 
name  of  Bihe,  son  of  the  Sova  of  the  Humbe,  attended 
by  a  numerous  suite,  passed  the  Cunene  and  in  the 
pursuit  of  his  sport  reached  those  remote  regions. 

One  day,  this  worthy  disciple  of  St.  Hubert  being 
hungry,  and  finding  himself  near  the  village  of  Un- 
gundo, repaired  thither  to  seek  materials  for  a  meal. 
On  this  occasion  he  cast  eyes  upon  the  beautiful 
Cahanda,  and,  as  a  matter  of  course,  fell  deeply  in  love 


BELMONTE. 


157 


with  her.  In  questions  of  love  it  would  not  appear  that 
there  is  much  difference  between  Africa  and  Europe, 
and  very  shortly  after  the  accidental  meeting  of  the 
young  people,  Cahanda  was  wooed  and  won,  and  Bihe' 
planted  the  first  stockade  of  the  great  village  which 
remains  to  this  day  the  capital  of  the  country — a 
country  on  which  he  bestowed  his  own  name  and 
whereof  he  caused  himself  to  be  proclaimed  the  Sova 
or  king.  The  scattered  Ganguella  tribes  were  little  by 
little  subjected,  and  the  father  of  the  first  Queen  of  the 
Bihe',  becoming  reconciled  to  his  daughter,  allowed  a 
considerable  emigration  of  his  people  to  the  latter  state. 
The  marriage  of  their  sovereign  was  succeeded  by  many 
other  unions  between  the  women  of  the  north  and  the 
huntsmen  who  had  followed  in  his  train,  and  thus  was 
the  country  of  the  Bihe'  called  into  existence. 

The  Bihenos  are  therefore  Mohumbes, — a  name 
bestowed  in  the  western  part  of  South  Africa  on  the 
descendants  of  the  Eumbe  race,  who,  however,  are  met 
with  not  only  in  the  Bihe,  but  in  various  other  points, 
more  especially  opposite  the  coast  between  Mossamedes 
and  Benguella,  mixed  with  the  Mundombes,  who  are 
the  genuine  people  of  that  country.  At  the  present 
date,  the  true  Mohumbe  race  in  the  Bihe  is  represented 
by  what  we  may  style  "  the  nobility  "  and  wealthy 
inhabitants  of  the  country,  descendants  of  the  huntsmen 
of  the  first  king  ;  but  although  thus  boasting  of  high 
lineage,  it  has  greatly  degenerated  through  the  admix- 
ture of  many  different  races.  This  is  intelligible 
enough,  for  as  the  Bihe',  from  its  very  outset,  was  a 
great  emporium  of  the  slave-trade,  and  was  colonised 
in  great  part  by  slaves  of  divers  races,  the  lower  classes 
are  the  issue  of  an  inexplicable  mixture,  and  the 
nobility  itself,  by  its  numerous  amours,  has  introduced 
among  its  descendants  blood  of  the  remotest  countries 
of  South  Africa. 


158 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


Of  the  union  of  Bihe  and  the  beautiful  princess 
Cahanda  was  issue  an  only  son,  on  whom  was  bestowed 
the  name  of  Iambi,  and  who  succeeded  his  father  in 
the  government  of  the  country.  Iambi  had  two  sons, 
whereof  the  elder  was  called  Giraul  and  the  second 
Cangombi.  Giraul  was  proclaimed  king  on  the  death 
of  his  father,  and  jealous  of  his  brother's  power  and 
influence  among  the  people,  caused  him  to  be  seized 
secretly  at  night,  and  sold  as  a  slave  to  a  negro  who 
was  conveying  a  gang  of  such  unfortunates  to  Loando. 

By  the  merest  chance  Cangombi  was  purchased  at 
Loando  by  the  Governor-General,  whose  favourite  slave 
he  became.  As  time  rolled  on,  the  tyranny  and 
despotism  of  Giraul  caused  him  to  be  so  detested  by  his 
people  that  they  conspired  against  him,  and  certain  of 
the  nobles  departed  secretly  for  Loando,  laden  with 
ivory,  to  ransom  his  brother  and  set  him  on  the  throne 
after  deposing  the  tyrant. 

The  then  governor  of  Angola,  seeing  the  profit  which 
might  be  reaped  by  the  Portuguese  crown  from  this 
dispute,  not  only  delivered  up  Cangombi  without  any 
ransom,  but  loaded  him  with  presents,  and  even  lent 
him  assistance  in  the  struggle  against  his  brother.  So 
it  came  to  pass  that  Cangombi  returned  to  the  Bihe  with 
a  large  following,  among  whom  were  many  Portuguese. 
War  being  declared  in  due  form  against  Giraul,  he 
was  quickly  defeated,  being  betrayed  by  the  desertion 
of  his  men ;  and  Cangombi,  more  generous  than  his 
brother,  when  assuming  the  reins  of  power  in  his  stead, 
assigned  to  him  a  village,  with  territory  attached  to  it, 
for  his  support. 

Four  years  afterwards,  Giraul,  untutored  by  past 
events,  revolted  and  tried  to  surprise  the  capital.  Again 
discomfited  and  made  prisoner,  he  was  delivered  by  his 
brother  into  the  hands  of  the  Ganguellas,  who  dwelt 
beyond  the  Cuanza,  that  they  might  eat  him ;  not  that 


BELMONTE. 


159 


these  Ganguellas  were  positively  cannibals,  but  from 
time  to  time  they  had,  it  appears,  no  objection  to  feast 
off  a  fellow-creature. 

I  did  not  succeed  in  learning  the  name  of  the 
governor  who  lent  armed  assistance  to  the  younger  son 
of  Iambi  in  order  to  raise  him  to  power,  but  I  feel 
convinced  that  some  record  of  the  circumstance  must 
exist  among  the  archives  of  the  Ministry  of  Marine  and 
Ultramar,  as  such'  a  step  could  not  fail  to  be  communi- 
cated to  the  .authorities  of  the  Home  Government. 

Cangombi  became  a  great  king,  and  had  eight  sons, 
whereof  six  were  reigning  Sovas  of  the  Bine',  which  is 
not  so  surprising  when  we  consider  that  the  nearest  in 
point  of  kinship  to  the  head  of  the  family  assumes  the 
reins  of  power.  Thus  so  long  as  there  are  any  sons 
living  of  a  native  king,  the  grandsons  are  set  aside,  and 
the  eldest  son  of  the  eldest  son  only  ascends  the  throne 
in  default  of  any  uncles, — younger  brothers  of  his 
father. 

On  account  of  this  law,  Cahueue,  the  eldest  son  of 
Cangombi,  inherited  his  dignity,  and  through  successive 
deaths  his  brothers  Moma,  Bandua,  Ungulo,  Leamula, 
and  Caiangula,  did  so  likewise.  The  two  sons  of 
Cangombi  who  were  not  Sovas  were  Calali  and  Ochi, 
they  having  died  early.  Ochi  came  next  in  order  of 
seniority  to  Cahueue,  and  leaving  a  son,  the  latter  was 
proclaimed  Sova  on  the  death  of  his  uncle  Caiangula, 
as  his  father  s  eldest  brother  left  no  issue. 

This  Sova  was  named  Muquinda,  and  on  his  death 
the  government  passed  to  his  cousin  Gubengui,  eldest 
son  of  the  Sova  Moma,  the  nearest  of  kin  to  his  father. 
Gubengui  was  followed  in  turn  by  another  brother 
Quilungo,  who  died,  in  the  act  of  his  proclamation, 
within  his  very  capital. 

Of  all  the  eight  sons  of  Cangombi,  only  one  legitimate 
descendant  remained,  son  of  the  Sova  Bandua,  who 


160 


THE  KING'S  EIFLE. 


then  assumed  power.  This  was  Quillemo,  the  reigning 
potentate  of  the  Bihe. 

There  nevertheless  exists  a  natural  son  of  Moma,  by 
name  Canhamangole,  who  is  pointed  out  as  Quillemo's 
successor.  And  as  he  has  many  sons,  they  will  in  all 
human  probability  reign  after  him. 

It  will  be  seen  from  this  brief  summary  of  the  history 
of  Bihe'  that  the  country  is  of  recent  origin,  and  that 
almost  from  its  very  commencement'  intimate  relations 
existed  between  the  Portuguese  and  Bihenos,  through 
the  intervention  of  the  Governor-General  of  Angola — 
on  belialf  of  the  Sova  Cangombi,  the  grandfather  of 
the  reigning  sovereign  Quillemo,  and  grandson  of  the 
founder  of  the  Biheno  monarchy. 

It  happens,  therefore,  that  the  Bihe',  from  the  date 
of  its  foundation,  has  been  governed  by  thirteen  Sovas 
in  five  generations,  as  represented  in  the  following 
table  : — 

Bihe  (Sova,  the  founder)    ...    1st  generation. 

Iambi  (.Sova)  2nd  generation. 

 I  

Giraiil  (Sova)      Cangombi  (Sova)     .    .    .    3rd  generation. 

  I  

II  I  I  I  I  I  I 

Oahueue      Ochi         Moma   Bandua    Ungulo  Leamula  Caiangula   Calali    .    4th  generation. 
(Sova)  (did  not  reign)  (Sova)    (Sova)     (Sova)     (Sova)      (Sova)    (did  not 
I  I  I  reign) 

Muquinda  Gubengui  Qnillrmo  5th  generation. 

(Sova)      (Sova).    (reigning  Sova) 
Quilungo 
(did  not  reign) 

In  the  map  of  Angola  by  Penheiro  Furtado  the 
Bihe  is  marked ;  but  its  origin  could  not  long  have 
preceded  the  production  of  that  map. 

The  Bihenos  are  little  given  to  agriculture  or  to 
any  kind  of  manual  labour.  All  the  work  is  done 
by  women,  wdio  alone  cultivate  the  earth. 

The  men  are  fond  of  travelling,  their  roaming 
disposition  being  probably  due  to  their  origin,  as  their 
forefathers  came  from  distant  parts ;  and  they  have  no 
hesitation  in  penetrating  into  the  most  remote  regions 


BELMONTE. 


161 


to  carry  on  their  trade  in  ivory  and  slaves.  Availing 
themselves  of  this  disposition,  certain  adventurous 
spirits,  such  as  Silva  Porto,  G-uilherme,  Pernambucano, 
Ladislao,  Magiar  and  other  traders,  began  to  direct  and 
guide  the  Bihenos  in  their  excursions,  and  by  so  doing 
bestowed  a  great  service  upon  the  world  at  large,  for 
by  opening  new  markets  to  trade  they  opened  new 
fields  for  civilisation.  But  it  was  not  their  trade  alone 
which  little  by  little  increased  the  commercial  activity 
of  Benguella ;  encouraged  by  example,  and  gradually 
losing  their  fear  of  the  white  men,  the  natives  of  remoter 


Fig.  19. — Woman  of  the  Bihe,  digging. 

districts  appeared  with  their  wares  and  did  business 
directly  with  the  commercial  houses  of  Benguella. 

The  trading  excursions  into  the  interior  of  the 
country,  initiated  by  the  whites,  were  soon  imitated  by 
their  black  brethren,  and  at  first  a  few,  and  afterwards 
many,  obtaining  a  certain  credit  in  the  Benguella 
markets,  proceeded  to  the  Bihe  to  organise  expeditions, 
which  started  thence  for  the  interior  in  search  of  wax 
and  ivory. 

I  became  acquainted  with  many  negroes  who  turned 
over  a  capital  of  a  thousand  to  twelve  hundred  pounds 
sterling,  and  some  even  more ;  one  of  them  indeed,  by 
name  Ohaquingunde,  originally  a  slave  of  Silva  Porto, 

vol.  I.  M 


162 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


during  my  sojourn  at  the  Bihe  arrived  from  the  in- 
terior, where  he  had  traded  on  his  own  account  to  the 
extent  of  14  contos  of  reis,  or  about  £3500  sterling ! 

It  is  not  uncommon  to  fall  in  with  a  Portuguese 
white  at  the  Bihe,  who  has  escaped  from  the  prisons  on 
the  coast,  acting  as  secretary  to  some  wealthy  negro 
trader. 

Where  travelling  is  concerned  as  connected  with 
trade,  nothing  comes  amiss  to  the  Bihenos,  who  seem 


Fig.  20. — Biheno  Carrier  on  the  Marcii. 


ready  for  anything.  If  they  only  had  the  power  of 
telling  where  they  had  been  and  describing  what  they 
had  seen,  the  geographers  of  Europe  would  not  have 
occasion  to  leave  blank  great  part  of  the  map  of  South 
Central  Africa. 

The  Biheno  quits  his  home  with  the  utmost  in- 
difference, and  bearing  a  load  of  sixty-six  pounds  of 
goods  will  start  for  the  interior,  where  he  will  remain 
two,  three  and  four  years  ;  and  on  his  return,  after  that 


BELMONTE. 


163 


lapse  of  time,  will  be  received  just  as  though  he  had 
been  on  a  journey  of  as  many  days. 

Silva  Porto,  whilst  engaged  in  doing  business  with 
the  Zambesi,  was  despatching  his  negroes  in  other 
directions,  and  was  trading  at  the  same  time  in  the 
Mucusso  country"  and  in  the  Lunda  and  Luapula  terri- 
tories. 

The  fame  of  the  Bihenos  has  travelled  far  and  wide, 
and  when  G-raca  attempted  his  journey  to  the  Matianvo, 
he  first  proceeded  to  the  Bihe  to  procure  carriers. 

A  Biheno  rarely  deserts  his  caravan,  or  makes  off 
with  his  load — events  wThich  are  by  no  means  uncom- 
mon among  the  natives  of  Zanzibar.  But  the  Bihenos 
have  another  great  advantage  over  the  latter.  Al- 
though much  given  to  trade  in  slaves,  they  do  not 
themselves  incite  internal  wars  to  procure  them  ;  they 
will  purchase  them  of  any  who  are  willing  to  sell,  but 
they  never  seek  to  get  them  by  force.  This  of  course 
is  referable  simply  to  their  trade  with  the  interior ; 
for  in  their  wars  with  neighbouring  countries  they  do 
pretty  much  as  other  negro  tribes  do,  and  commit  un- 
heard-of cruelties. 

Notwithstanding  many  high  qualities,  great  pluck 
and  readiness  to  undergo  fatigue  and  danger,  the 
Bihenos  have  many  grave  defects  ;  and  I  do  not  know 
in  Africa  a  race  more  profoundly  vicious,  more  openly 
depraved,  more  persistently  cruel  and  more  cunningly 
hypocritical,  than  they. 

These  people  have  a  certain  emulation  among  one 
another  as  travellers,  and  I  met  with  many  who  prided 
themselves  on  having  gone  where  no  others  had  ever 
been,  and  which  they  called  discovering  new  lands. 
They  are  brought  up  to  wandering  from  their  very 
infancy,  and  all  caravans  carry  innumerable  children, 
who,  with  loads  proportionate  to  their  strength,  ac- 
company their  parents  or  relatives  on  the  longest 

M  2 


164 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


journeys  ;  hence,  it  is  no  uncommon  thing  to  find  a 
young  fellow  of  five-and-twenty  who  has  travelled  in 
the  Matianvo,  Niangue,  Luapula,  Zambesi,  and  Mucusso 
districts,  having  commenced  his  peregrinations  at  the 
age  of  nine  years. 

A  trader  who  arrives  at  the  Bihe  with  the  intention 
of  pushing  into  the  interior  has  two  means  open  to  him 
for  obtaining  carriers.  One  is  to  apply  to  the  Sova  or 
the  native  chiefs  for  the  required  number,  and  make 
them  presents  in  return  ;  the  other  to  give  notice 
of  the  journey  and  wait  for  the  men  themselves  to 
apply. 

The  former  is  a  bad  course,  for  beyond  the  great 
expense  incurred  in  the  presents  that  it  is  absolutely 
necessary  to  make  to  the  persons  to  whom  application 
for  the  porters  is  made,  the  latter  are  obliged  to 
go,  and  the  party  obtaining  them  becomes  responsible 
for  their  lives  towards  their  families  or  lords.  And 
besides,  the  persons  applied  to,  with  .the  idea  of  extort- 
ing more  presents,  throw  all  sorts  of  petty  obstacles  in 
the  way  so  as  to  retard  the  departure  of  the  traveller, 
and  one  may  be  sure  that  their  exigencies  will  increase 
if  the  trader  be  in  any  way  dependent  on  them. 

The  second  means  is  far  the  better,  for  they  who 
come  forward  under  such  circumstances  are  free  blacks  ; 
they  offer  themselves  spontaneously,  and  should  any 
unfortunately  die  during  the  trader's  service,  he 
becomes,  by  the  law  of  the  country,  in  no  way  respon- 
sible for  the  event,  inasmuch  as  the  men  were  under  no 
compulsion  in  making  the  offer. 

This  is  a  favourable  occasion  to  speak  of  Quissongos, 
to  whom  I  alluded  in  my  last  chapter,  and  of 
Pombeiros.  Porters  and  carriers  of  whatsoever  tribe, 
Bihenos  or  not,  form  themselves  into  small  parties 
under  the  command  of  one  among  them  who  becomes 
their   chief.    This  chief,    from  the  coast  as  far  as 


BELMONTE. 


165 


Caquingue,  is  called  Quissongo,  and  in  the  Bihe  and 
Bailundo  countries,  Pombeiro. 

It  is  the  Pombeiro  who  comes  forward  to  negotiate, 
he  having  ten,  or  more,  or  fewer  carriers  at  his  call. 
The  parties  or  groups  are  very  differently  constituted. 
Some  are  composed  of  kinsfolk,  who  select  one  of  their 
number  to  act  as  Pombeiro,  and  they  are  of  course  all 
freemen.  Others  are  formed  of  independent  members, 
freemen  also,  who  combine  together  under  the  orders 
of  a  Pombeiro  in  whom  they  feel  confidence  ;  and  there 
are  others,  consisting  of  groups  of  slaves  belonging  to 
the  very  Pombeiros  who  command  them. 

The  duty  of  the  Pombeiro  is  to  watch  over  his  band, 
and  he  is  responsible  for  its  members  to  the  head  of 
the  caravan.  He  eats  and  sleeps  with  them,  and  in 
fact  may  be  looked  upon  as  their  captain. 

The  Pombeiro  carries  no  load,  but,  in  the  event  of 
the  sickness  or  death  of  one  of  his  men,  he  takes  his 
place  as  temporary  carrier.  During  the  march  his 
place  is  at  the  tail  of  the  train,  and  if  a  carrier  lags 
behind  he  is  there  to  look  after  or  assist  him. 

These  men  are  never  paid  in  advance,  and  in  regular 
trading  journeys  their  recompense  is  very  small. 

For  instance,  a  carrier  will  receive  for  the  trip  from 
the  Bihe  to  G-aranganja  (Luapula)  twelve  pieces  of 
trade  cloth  to  the  value  of  about  twelve  shillings  ster- 
ling, and  for  the  return  journey  a  piece  of  ivory  worth 
say  twenty  more,  making  in  all  thirty-two  shillings.  This 
is  irrespective  of  his  food,  as  it  is  the  duty  of  the  chief 
of  the  caravan  to  feed  all  his  people  during  the  journey 
with  the  exception  of  the  first  three  days  after  leaving 
the  Bihe — the  men  carrying  rations  with  them  for 
that  time. 

There  is  an  exception  also  to  this  rule.  Many  traders 
after  leaving  the  Bihe  appoint  a  certain  number  of 
Pombeiros  to  start  for  different  places,  and  these  frag- 


166 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


mentary  bands  are  either  detached  on  their  way  or  at 
the  end  of  the  journey.  They  entrust  to  these  officials 
a  certain  number  of  loads,  for  which  they  are  expected 
to  account  on  their  return.  These  loads  are  called 
banzos,  and  the  Pombeiro  and  carriers  engaged  in  such 
separate  ventures  board  themselves  from  the  very 
outset  of  the  journey.  Saving  in  this  instance,  the 
trader  is  bound  to  keep  his  men  and  their  Pombeiros 
in  food  in  the  manner  above  described. 

The  Pombeiros  never  undertake  a  venture  for  any 
determinate  time,  and  their  gains  are  the  same  for  the 
shorter  as  for  the  longer  period.  They  are  employed, 
in  fact,  by  the  job,  for  it  is  well  known  that  in  Africa 
the  negroes  make  no  account  of  time. 

The  customs  of  the  Bihenos  are  pretty  nearly  the 
same  as  those  of  the  inhabitants  of  Caquingue,  and 
contact  with  the  whites  has  produced  no  change  for  the 
better  among  the  natives. 

They  have  no  idea  of  any  religious  faith,  they  adore 
neither  sun  nor  moon,  they  setup  no  idols,  but  live  on, 
quite  satisfied  with  their  sorceries  and  divinations. 

Nevertheless,  a  notion  is  prevalent  among  them  as 
to  the  immortality  of  the  soul,  or  rather  as  to  its  exis- 
tence in  a  kind  of  purgatory  until  such  time  as  the 
survivors  are  enabled  to  fulfil  certain  precepts  or 
perform  certain  acts  of  vengeance  on  behalf  of  the 
dead. 

Their  form  of  government  is  an  absolute  monarchy, 
and  has  a  good  deal  of  feudalism  about  it. 

Every  one  is,  for  the  most  part,  a  judge  in  his  own 
cause,  and  when  I  speak  of  the  mucanos  I  will  describe 
how  justice  is  done  in  this  part  of  the  world. 

The  most  striking  incidents  among  the  Bihenos  are 
those  connected  with  their  sovereigns  or  Sovas,  and 
more  especially  with  regard  to  the  proclamation  and 
death  of  the  latter.    Before,  however,  describing  these 


BELMONTE. 


167 


two  greal  events  it  is  necessary  to  say  a  few  words 
about  the  court. 

The  Sova  is  surrounded  by  a  certain  number  of 
subjects  who  are  styled  Macotas,  and  are  assimilated  by 
some  to  Ministers  among  ourselves,  but  this  is  really 
not  the  case.  The  Macotas  form,  it  is  true,  a  sort  of 
council  to  which  the  Sova  always  submits  his  reso- 
lutions, but  of  whose  opinion  he  makes  but  little  account. 
They  are  seculos  and  favourites  of  the  Sova,  but  nothing 
more ;  and  by  seculos  must  be  understood  the  nobility, 
sons  of  nobles,  or  personages  ennobled  by  the  sove- 
reign. 

Many  of  these  seculos,  who  possess  libatas,  or  fortified 
places  of  residence,  assume,  within  their  enclosure  the 
airs  of  native  sovereigns,  and  their  people,  when 
addressing  them,  use  the  expression  Nd  coco,  meaning 
"  Your  Majesty." 

In  addition  to  the  Macotas,  there  are  three  negroes 
who  are  in  attendance  on  the  Sova,  and  who,  when  he 
gives  audience,  squat  upon  the  ground  near  him,  and 
carefully  gather  up  the  royal  spittle,  to  cast  it  out  of 
doors.  There  is  another  who  carries  the  royal  seat  or 
chair,  and  there  is  the  fool,  an  indispensable  adjunct  of 
the  court  of  every  Sova  and  even  of  opulent  and  power- 
ful seculos.  To  the  fool  is  assigned  the  duty  of  clean- 
sing the  door  of  the  Sova's  house,  and  the  space  all 
round  it. 

The  libatas  are  defended  by  a  strong  wooden  stockade, 
almost  always  covered  with  enormous  sycamores,  and  a 
second  stockade  within  the  other  defends  and  encloses 
the  residence  of  the  great  man.  This  second  enclosure 
is  called  the  lombe. 

Having  given  these  brief  explanations,  I  will  say  a 
few  words  as  to  what  occurs  on  the  death  or  proclama- 
tion of  the  sovereign. 

The  decease  of  the  Sova  is  of  course  known  to  the 


168 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


Macotas,  who  keep  the  matter  a  profound  secret.  They 
give  out  to  the  people  that  their  king  is  ill,  and  there- 
fore does  not  appear.  Meanwhile  they  lay  out  the 
corpse  on  the  bed  within  the  hut  and  cover  it  with  a 
cloth — at  least,  this  is  the  custom  in  Caquingue,  but  in 
the  Bihe  country  they  hang  it  up  by  the  neck  to  the 
roof  of  the  hut. 

The  body  so  remains  until  putrefaction  and  insects 
have  left  the  bones  bare  ;  or  until,  as  in  the  Bihe,  the 
head  drops  from  the  body. 

It  is  when  this  occurs  that  they  announce  his  death 
and  proceed  to  the  interment  of  his  remains.  The  bones 
are  placed  within  an  ox-hide  and  deposited  in  a  hut 
which  exists  within  the  lo/nbe,  and  serves  as  the 
mausoleum  of  all  the  Sovas.  The  hut  in  which  the 
corpse  putrefied  is  demolished  and  the  material  of  which 
it  is  composed  is  carried  out  of  the  enclosure  and 
scattered  about  the  jungle. 

From  what  has  been  already  explained,  it  is  scarcely 
necessary  to  say  that  the  death  of  a  Sova  is  always 
produced  by  sorcery  or  witchcraft,  and  that  some 
unfortunate  has  to  pay  with  his  life,  not  for  the  sorcery, 
which  he  never  committed,  but  the  private  vengeance 
of  one  of  the  Macotas.  No  sooner  is  the  death  of  the 
Sova  announced,  than  the  people  rush  madly  about,  and 
for  some  days  not  only  strip  and  pilfer  all  persons  who 
are  met  with  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  capital,  but 
make  captives  of  the  strangers  themselves,  and  subse- 
quently dispose  of  them  for  slaves. 

The  Macotas  then  seek  out  the  rightful  heir  and 
accompany  him  to  the  Libata  grande  or  capital ;  on  his 
arrival,  however,  he  does  not  at  first  penetrate  the 
lombe  or  inner  enclosure,  but  takes  up  his  residence 
among  the  people,  living,  for  a  time,  as  one  of  them. 
No  sooner,  however,  has  the  heir-apparent  entered  the 
Libata,  than  two  bands  of  huntsmen  issue  forth,  one  in 


BELMONTE. 


169 


search  of  an  antelope  (  Catoblepas  taunna),  and  the  other 
of  a  human  victim. 

An  antelope  being  started,  a  member  of  the  former 
of  the  two  bands  fires  at  the  animal  and  at  once  takes 
to  flight,  his  companions  rushing  forward  to  cut  off  the 
creature's  head,  for  should  this  be  done  by  the  hunts- 
man who  shot  it  down,  he  would  be  at  once  assassinated 
and  none  might  say  by  whose  hand. 

The  other  troop,  in  pursuit  of  human  game,  seize 
the  first  poor  wretch,  man  or  woman,  who  falls  in 
their  way,  and  hurrying  the  victim  off  to  the  jungle, 
cut  off  the  head,  which  they  bring  back  with  great 
care,  abandoning  the  body  where  it  fell.  On  arriving 
at  the  Libata,  they  wait  for  the  troop  on  the  hunt  for 
the  antelope,  as  it  is  always  much  easier  to  find  and 
kill  a  man  than  to  find  and  kill  any  particular  animal. 

Having  put  the  two  heads  into  one  basket,  the 
medicine-man  appears  and  begins  to  perform  the 
proper  remedies  to  enable  the  new  Sova  to  assume  the 
reins  of  government,  and  his  tomfoolery  being  at  an 
end,  he  declares  that  the  sovereign  may  enter  the 
lombe.  Attended  by  the  Macotas,  the  Sova  enters 
accordingly,  in  the  midst  of  loud  acclamations  and  a 
great  expenditure  of  gunpowder. 

The  first  step  taken  by  the  Sova  on  attaining  to 
power,  is  to  select  from  among  his  women  the  one  he 
chooses  to  make  his  wife,  who  is  styled  Inaculo  ;  the 
others  still  continue  to  reside  in  the  Lombe  but  not 
within  the  precincts  of  the  royal  residence. 

Polygamy,  however,  is  an  established  institution  of 
the  Bihe  country,  as  it  is  of  all  South  Central  Africa. 

Crimes  in  the  Bihe  are  always  tried  in  first  instance 
by  the  parties  injured  or  offended,  and  it  is  only  if  the 
convicted  criminal  refuses  to  submit  to  the  payment  of 
the  fine  imposed,  that  the  matter,  and  then  only  in 
rare  cases,  is  brought  before  the  Sova.    As  a  rule, 


170 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


sentence  is  passed  and  carried  out  by  the  injured 
parties  themselves.  The  word  which  strikes  most 
terror  in  the  Bihe  is  miicano,  a  word  that  does  not 
merely  express  a  crime  committed,  but  an  idea  that 
embraces  both  the  crime  and  the  payment  of  a  fine. 

All  crimes  among  these  people  are  expiated  by 
money,  that  is  to  say,  the  payment  of  a  fine  ;  and  there 
are  no  intermediate  penalties  between  a  fine  and  death. 
When  a  wealthy  person  upon  whom  a  mucano  is 
pending,  refuses  to  pay,  the  party  injured,  if  he  be 
powerful,  makes  a  seizure  of  some  of  the  others 
property,  for  a  far  higher  value  than  the  amount  of 
the  fine  ;  and  the  property  so  seized  remains  in  deposit, 
to  be  subsequently  sold,  or  appropriated  by  the  person 
effecting  the  seizure. 

Should,  however,  a  seizure  be  held  unjust,  the  party 
committing  it  is  compelled  by  the  Sova  to  make  resti- 
tution and  give  a  pig,  by  way  of  solace,  to  the  party 
prejudiced. 

This  system  offers  a  premium  to  extortion,  and  not 
a  day  passes  without  the  most  stupendous  mucanos 
being  put  forward. 

One  of  the  most  common  excuses  for  its  imposition 
is  adultery,  wives  being  urged  on  by  their  affectionate 
husbands  to  entangle  some  male  friend  or  acquaintance 
known  to  be  possessed  of  means,  so  that  he  may  be 
subsequently  compelled  to  pay  a  mucano.  The  head  of 
a  caravan  is  bound  to  pay  the  mucanos  of  his  negroes, 
and  he  is  responsible  for  their  good  behaviour. 

When  a  white  man,  who  is  liable  for  the  mucanos  of 
his  negroes,  has  sufficient  force  at  his  command  to  refuse 
to  make  such  payment,  his  accusers  will  wait — some- 
times for  years — until  they  can  fall  in  with  another 
and  a  weaker  white,  on  whose  goods  they  effect  their 
attachment,  letting  him  know  at  the  same  time  that 
they  make  him  the  scapegoat  of  his  brother  pale- 


BELMONTE. 


171 


face,  out  of  whom  he  must  get  his  compensation — if  he 
can. 

If  a  man  under  the  charge  of  a  mucano  should  die, 
the  unfortunate  wretch  who  heedlessly  takes  up  his 
quarters  in  the  dead  man's  house,  becomes  responsible 
for  the  former  tenant. 

The  mode  in  which  justice,  so  called,  is  administered 
in  the  Bihe,  is  an  enormous  obstacle  to  trade,  and 
the  source  of  most  serious  losses  to  the  Benguella 
houses. 

During  my  stay  in  Silva  Porto's  residence,  some 
negroes  came  in,  bringing  with  them  a  hen  which 
they  intended  using  in  certain  remedies,  and  the 
gardener,  at  sight  of  the  fowl,  happened  to  say  that  it 
was  very  like  one  of  his.  These  unlucky  words  became 
the  object  of  a  mucano  and  cost  the  poor  gardener  some 
8  yards  of  cotton  stuff,  which  he  had  to  pay  the  owner 
of  the  bird. 

No  sooner  does  a  stranger  arrive  at  the  Bihe  with 
goods  in  his  possession,  than  attempts  are  made  to  render 
him  the  victim  of  innumerable  mucanos,  under  cover  of 
which  great  part  of  his  property  is  niched  from  him. 

The  traders  on  reaching  the  Bihe  are  defrauded  in 
this  way  to  such  an  extent,  that  in  many  instances  only 
a  third  of  the  goods  they  have  brought  with  them  is 
left  wherewith  to  do  business  in  the  interior.  Quilherme 
the  Caudimba,  Verissimo's  father,  on  the  very  last 
occasion  of  his  going  there  for  trading  purposes,  was 
compelled  to  give  up  goods  to  the  value  of  £150  ster- 
ling on  account  of  a  mucano  planted  on  him,  through 
one  of  his  men  having  purchased  a  piece  of  mutton  for 
three  cartridges  and  not  paying  for  it  on  the  same  day 
but  offering  payment  on  the  day  after,  when  it  was 
refused.  During  my  stay  at  the  Bihe,  Silva  Porto 
himself  had  to  pay  a  mucano  of  £175  on  account  of 
even  a  greater  trifle  still. 


172 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


It  is  this  mucano,  this  infamous,  because  legalised 
and  authorised  mode  of  wholesale  robbery,  which  is 
the  curse  of  the  trade  and  the  main  cause  of  the  decline 
of  the  Bihe. 

It  was  the  mucano  which  drove  Silva  Porto  and  all 
the  other  honest  traders  out  of  the  country. 

If  this  were  once  suppressed,  and  if  the  highway  to 
Benguella  were  rendered  safe  so  that  trade  caravans 
might  pass  to  and  fro  unmolested,  we  should  within  an 
incredibly  short  space  behold  the  trade  of  Benguella 
tripled,  and  new  founts  of  wealth,  now  choked  and 
unused  through  want  of  security,  welling  forth  and 
giving  life  to  European  industry. 

The  people  of  the  Bihe  are  admirably  fitted  to  carry 
out  great  undertakings.  If  we  could  only  eradicate  the 
viper  of  ignorance  which  devours  their  very  entrails, 
raise  them  from  their  brute  condition  to  the  height  of 
men,  and  direct  them  in  the  right  road,  we  should  soon 
see  them  take  the  lead  in  the  march  of  progress  and 
leave  most  of  the  other  African  peoples  far  behind 
them. 

The  African  negroes  are  not  unlike  the  best  breeds 
of  horses,  and  those  among  them  who  at  the  outset  are 
the  most  difficult  of  control  end  by  becoming,  with 
proper  training,  the  most  docile  and  obedient. 

The  tribes  in  which  indolence  and  cowardice  pre- 
dominate can  with  difficulty  be  civilised :  but  the  la- 
borious and  high-spirited  would  offer  a  far  easier  task 
to  their  instructors. 

The  Bihenos,  like  all  the  tribes  of  this  part  of  Africa, 
are  much  given  to  drunkenness.  The  inevitable  aguar- 
dente  has  found  its  way  thither,  and  where  that  fails 
they  manufacture  capata. 

Capata,  quimbombo  or  chimbombo,  for  they  call  the 
liquor  indifferently  by  the  three  names,  is  a  species  of 
beer  made  from  Indian  corn.    In  those  parts  where  the 


BELMONTE. 


173 


hop  (Humulus  lupulus)  is  cultivated,  the  people  use  the 
conical  seeds  of  that  plant  wherewith  to  make  their 
drink. 

For  this  purpose  the  seeds  are  reduced  to  powder, 
and  being  mixed  with  maize  flour,  the  whole  is  put 
with  a  large  quantity  of  water  into  an  enormous  pipkin 
and  made  to  boil  for  some  eight  or  ten  hours.  When 
taken  from  the  fire  and  allowed  to  cool,  it  is  capata, 
which  is  drunk  at  once. 

Acetic  fermentation  predominates  in  this  preparation, 
and  the  alcoholic  fermentation  is  so  small  that  it 
requires  a  great  quantity  to  produce  intoxication.  As 
the  liquor  is  not  filtered,  it  of  course  holds  a  good  deal 
of  the  flour  in  suspension,  and  is  therefore  rather  a  fluid 
mass  than  a  pure  liquid.  It  must  have  great  nourish- 
ing power,  as  there  are  many  of  the  negroes  who  will 
pass  a  whole  day  and  even  more  without  food,  as- 
siduously imbibing  capata. 

In  those  districts  where  hops  are  wanting,  their 
place  is  supplied  by  a  flour  made  of  maize  in  a  state  of 
germination  ;  the  latter  produced  by  burying  the  corn 
or  steeping  it  in  water  for  a  lew  days. 

In  the  honey  season,  considerable  alcoholic  fermenta- 
tion is  produced  by  the  addition  of  honey  to  the  capata, 
which  becomes,  in  the  course  of  a  lew  days,  transformed 
into  alcohol.  The  liquor  thus  prepared  is  very  intoxi- 
cating, and  it  then  bears  the  name  of  quiassa. 

There  is  also  another  drink  which  can  scarcely  be 
termed  refreshing,  but  is  nevertheless  both  pleasant  and 
very  nutritious. 

This  is  made  from  the  root  of  a  herbaceous  plant  that 
my  imperfect  botanical  knowledge  does  not  allow  me 
to  classify,  and  which  the  negroes  call  imbundi.  They 
make  a  strong  decoction  of  this  root  which,  as  con- 
taining a  great  quantity  of  saccharine  matter, 
ferments  readily,  and  add  to  it  the  flour  of  the  Indian 


174 


THE  KING'S  BIFLE. 


corn, — drinking  it  when  cold.    This  liquor  they  call 

quissangua. 

The  food  of  the  Bihe  people  is  almost  entirely  vege- 
table, for  having  little  cattle,  which  they  never  kill  to 
eat,  they  go  on  for  months  tasting  no  animal  food 
beyond  an  occasional  treat  off  the  flesh  of  swine.  Pigs 
abound  there  in  a  domesticated  state.  They  were,  I 
believe,  introduced  by  Silva  Porto.  The  country  being 
thickly  peopled,  game  is  scarce,  and  the  little  there  is 
consists  of  small  antelopes  (Ceplialophus  mergens),  diffi- 
cult to  bring  down  on  account  of  their  excessive  shy- 
ness. 

It  must  not  be  thought,  however,  that  the  Bihenos 
have  any  objection  to  flesh ;  on  the  contrary,  they 
devour  all  that  falls  in  their  way,  and  prefer  it  in  a 
state  of  putrefaction. 

Lions,  jackals,  hyenas,  crocodiles,  and  all  the  carnivora 
are  consumed  with  like  gusto,  but  they  have  a  special 
liking  for  dogs,  which  they  fatten  up  for  food.  This 
fondness  may  perhaps  have  arisen  from  the  scarcity  of 
animal  food  existing  in  the  country.  They  are  not  posi- 
tively cannibals,  but  they  do  from  time  to  time  in- 
dulge in  a  mouthful  or  two  of  a  roasted  neighbour. 
They  prefer,  it  appears,  the  old,  and  a  white-haired 
ancient  is  a  present  fit  for  a  Sova  or  a  wealthy  native 
chief  who  is  going  to  give  a  banquet. 

The  sovereigns  of  the  Bihe  frequently  hold  high 
festival  in  their  libatas  called  the  "  Feast  of  the 
Quissunge,"  at  which  are  immolated  and  devoured  five 
persons ;  viz.  one  man  and  four  women,  who  may  be 
thus  classified:  one  woman  who  makes  pipkins;  another 
just  delivered  of  her  first  child ;  another  who  has  a 
goitre  (a  common  complaint  in  the  country) ;  and 
another  who  makes  baskets.  The  man  must  be  a 
deer-hunter. 

The  victims  being  taken  are  decapitated  and  their 


BELMONTE. 


175 


heads  cast  into  the  jungle.  The  bodies  are  brought 
into  the  lombe  or  inner  enclosure  of  the  royal  residence, 
where  they  are  quartered,  and  an  ox  being  killed,  its 
flesh  is  cooked  with  the  human  flesh,  partly  by  roasting 
and  partly  boiling  in  capata ;  so  that  everything  which 
appears  at  the  banquet  is  mixed  with  human  blood. 
As  soon  as  this  sinister  and  repugnant  meal  is  ready, 
the  Sova  sends  out  notice  that  he  is  about  to  begin  the 
Quissunge,  and  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  place  hurriedly 
flock  to  the  entertainment. 

The  Bihenos,  among  other  strange  tastes,  are  passion- 
ately fond  of  termites  or  white  ants,  and  destroy  their 
habitations  to  seize  and  eat  them  raw. 

The  people  when  at  home  are  thorough  thieves,  and 
lay  their  hands  upon  anything  which  comes  in  their 
way ;  abroad,  however,  they  not  only  abstain  from 
pilfering,  but,  as  carriers,  are  most  faithful  to  their 
packs. 

Should  a  caravan  happen  to  camp  in  the  Bihe',  while 
passing  through  the  country,  notice  should  at  once  be 
given  to  the  chief  who  owns  the  land,  accompanied  by 
some  trifling  present;  in  default  of  which  the  inhabitants 
of  the  neighbouring  village  would  be  authorised  to  pilfer 
whatsoever  they  could  lay  hands  on.  The  present,  how- 
ever, being  made  to  the  land-owner,  he  becomes  at  once 
responsible  for  anything  that  is  missing. 

It  is  a  matter  of  necessity  also  to  make  a  present,  or 
rather  pay  tribute  (quibanda),  to  the  Sovereign.  It  is 
not  advisable  to  make  this  offering  too  costly  a  one,  for 
his  Majesty,  as  a  rule  is  never  satisfied  with  what  is 
given,  but  always  demands  more. 

The  libatas  or  fortified  villages  (and  they  all  of  them 
are  more  or  less  fortified  from  the  coast  to  the  Bihe), 
are  counterparts  of  each  other,  saving  such  trifling 
deviations  as  are  due  to  the  configuration  of  the  soil. 
They  are  composed  of  groups  of  huts  constructed  of 


176 


TEE  KING  S  RIFLE. 


wood  and  covered  with  thatch,  surrounded  by  a 
stockade  or  palisade,  the  height  of  which  varies  from 
six  to  fifteen  feet.  This  palisade  is  formed  of  stakes  of 
iron-wood,  seven  inches  in  diameter,  some  of  which  are 
merely  stuck  into  the  ground,  others  are  secured  to 
cross-pieces  by  means  of  withes,  whilst  others  again  are 
strengthened  by  horizontal  pieces  fitting  into  enormous 
forked  uprights. 

Another  palisade  of  a  similar  character  surrounds 


Fig.  21. 


Simple  Palisade  bound  together  Palisade  with 

Palisade.  with  withes.  forked  uprights. 


the  lombe  or  compound  of  the  chief  or  sovereign  of 
the  place.  In  many  cases  I  observed  groups  of  houses 
isolated  as  it  were  by  means  of  a  palisade. 

Most  of  the  libatas,  and  the  older  ones  more  especially, 
are  shaded  by  leafy  trees,  and  are  almost  invariably  on 
the  banks  of  some  river  or  brook.  In  many  instances 
they  are  built  over  the  stream,  which  thus  runs  through 
them. 

The  majority  of  them  are  rectangular  in  shape,  though 
some  are  elliptical  or  circular  and  others  form  very 


BELMONTE. 


177 


irregular  polygons.  There  is  not  the  slightest  order 
observable  in  the  buildings,  and  the  formation  of  the 
soil  evidently  dictates  their  arrangement. 


Fig.  22. — Plan  of  a  native  Libata  or  fortified 

VILLAGE  IN  THE  BlHE. 

Entrance.  B.  Conical  hut  where  the  Sovas  are  interred.  C.  Trophy 
of  Horns,  a  a  a.  Lombe,  or  residence  of  the  Sova.  E.  Entrance 
of  the  Lombe.  o  o.  Sova's  house.  c  c  c.  Houses  of  Sova's 
concubines,    d  d  d.  Negroe's  houses. 


Fig.     23.  —  Post 

ERECTED  OUTSIDE 
THE  GATE  OF  THE 
VILAGES. 


The  villages  are  fortified  to  resist  the  attacks  of  men, 
as  there  are  too  few  wild  animals  in  the  district  to  create 
any  fear  of  assaults  from  the  latter ;  indeed,  this  is  so 
clearly  the  case  that  in  the  interior  of  the  country, 
where  wild  beasts  abound,  the  villages  are  open  and 
unprotected. 

Wars  among  the  blacks  in  this  part  of  the  world  are, 
in  the  majority  of  instances,  utterly  causeless,  and  a 
reputation  for  wealth  of  any  particular  tribe  will  be 
quite  sufficient  to  ensure  its  being  attacked.  They 
are  purely  freebooting  expeditions. 

When  a  sovereign  has  decided  upon  a  war  with 
another  potentate,  or  tribe,  he  sends  his  emissaries 
round  to  the  native  chiefs  and  seculos  of  the  vicinity, 
to  invite  them  to  take  part  in  the  campaign ;  they 
hasten  to  the  call,  and,  as  was  the  case  in  Europe 

VOL.  I.  X 


178 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


during  the  feudal  times,  they  come  with  their  warriors 
to  swell  the  armv  of  their  suzerain. 

There  are  some  of  these  people  who  periodically  and 
systematically  make  war,  and  in  the  Nano  country,  for 
instance,  they  swoop  down  every  three  years  upon  the 
frontier  lands,  and  carry  off  the  cattle  of  the  Mulonda, 
Camba  and  Quillengues  districts.  Indeed  they  are  apt 
to  boast  that  the  inhabitants  of  the  latter  countries 
breed  cattle  for  them  and  act  as  their  herdsmen. 

It  is  a  noteworthy  circumstance  as  connected  with 
the  wars  in  this  part  of  Africa,  that  the  attacking  party 
is  ever  the  victor. 

There  are,  of  course,  exceptions  to  this  rule,  but  they 
are  very  rare. 

The  most  remarkable  of  these  exceptions  was  the 
attack  made  by  Quillemo,  the  present  Sova  of  the  Bihe, 
upon  the  Caquingue  country,  in  which  the  Bihenos 
were  routed  by  the  Gonzellos,  and  wherein  Quillemo 
himself  became  the  prisoner  of  the  Sova  of  Caquingue. 
He  would  in  all  probability  have  lost  his  head  as  well 
as  his  freedom,  had  it  not  been  for  Silva  Porto  and 
G-uilherme  Jose  Goncalves  (the  Candimba),  who  paid  a 
heavy  ransom  for  his  recovery. 

In  the  wars  among  the  peoples  of  these  countries, 
perhaps  not  more  than  a  fifth  of  the  combatants  carries 
fire-arms,  the  other  four- fifths  being  armed  with  bows  and 
arrows,  hatchets  and  assegais.  A  war  is  looked  upon 
as  something  great  and  important,  where  every  man 
who  carries  a  musket  is  supplied  with  thirty  rounds  ot 
ammunition.  The  guns  in  use  are  tbose  known  in  the 
trade  as  lazarinas ;  they  are  very  long  and  of  small 
bore.  They  are  manufactured  in  Belgium,  and  take  their 
name  froma celebrated  Portuguese gunmaker  whoresided 
in  the  city  of  Braga  at  the  beginning  of  the  century, 
and  whose  productions  acquired  very  considerable  fame 
both  in  Portugal  and  the  colonies.    His  name  of  Lazaro 


BELMONTE. 


179 


— lazarino,  a  native  of  Braga — is  unblushingly  engraved 
on  the  barrels  of  the  pieces  manufactured  in  Belgium 
for  the  blacks — and  which  are  but  a  clumsy  imitation 
of  the  perfect  weapon  turned  out  by  the  celebrated 
Portuguese  gunsmith. 

The  Bihenos  do  not  make  use  of  leaden  bullets,  which 
are,  they  say,  too  heavy,  but  manufacture  iron  ones 
instead.  The  cartridges,  which  they  also  make,  contain 
fifteen  gram mes  of  powder  and  are  nine  inches  in  length. 

The  iron  bullets  are  of  much  smaller  diameter  than 
the  ordinary  leaden  ones,  and  weigh  scarcely  six  to 
seven  grammes.  Being  of  wrought  iron,  their  shape 
is  rather  that  of  an  irregular  polyhedron  than  a 
sphere. 

The  guns  thus  loaded,  are,  as  may  well  be  imagined, 
of  but  slight  precision,  and  scarcely  carry  a  distance  of 
a  hundred  yards. 

The  range  of  the  arrow  is  from  fifty  to  sixty  yards, 
but  in  the  hands  of  the  blacks  it  seldom  does  execution 
at  a  greater  distance  than  from  twenty-five  to  thirty 
yards.  The  assegais  are  composed  entirely  of  iron; 
are  short  and  ornamented  with  sheep's  or  goats'  hair. 
They  are  never  thrown — the  Biheno  in  action  grasping 
the  weapon  tightly  in  his  hand. 

I  said  that  the  assegai  was  adorned  with  sheep's  hair, 
and  I  may  mention,  while  upon  the  subject,  that  the 
sheep  in  this  part  of  the  world  have  no  wool.  There 
are  two  distinct  species  existing  in  the  country,  which 
the  blacks  in  Hambundo  distinguish  by  the  names  of 
ongue  and  omeme.  The  ongue  has  thick,  short  hair, 
and  the  omeme,  though  furnished  with  much  longer 
hair,  has  no  pretence  to  wool. 

These  animals,  of  exotic  race,  degenerate  most  de- 
cidedly from  the  effects  of  climate  and  pasture.  The 
Bihenos  have  goats  of  a  very  inferior  race,  and  their 
horned  cattle  are  small  and  of  poor  and  weakly  breed. 

N  2 


180 


TEE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


Poultry  abounds,  but,  similar  to  all  the  domestic 
animals  of  the  country,  the  birds  are  small  of  body. 

Having  thus  gleaned  from  my  notes  what  I  con- 
sidered most  curious  with  respect  to  this  interesting 
country,  reserving  for  a  special  chapter  a  fuller  account 
of  its  climate,  capabilities  and  prospects,  I  again  take 
up  my  diary  on  the  14th  of  April,  1878. 

The  rains  had  been  gradually  decreasing,  falling 
from  six  to  nine  at  night  only,  since  the  beginning  of 
the  month,  and  yielding  scarcely  one-eighteenth  of  an 
inch  of  water.  The  weather  was  splendid,  and  even  the 
few  flecks  of  white  cloud  which  after  the  rains  floated 
for  a  time  at  an  enormous  height  in  the  upper  air,  at 
length  disappeared  to  leave  the  sky  perfectly  blue  and 
limpid,  beautiful  by  day  beneath  the  rays  of  a  brilliant 
sun,  but  infinitely  more  beautiful  at  night  when  spark- 
lino:  with  myriads  of  stars  which  shed  over  this  African 
continent  that  strangely  melancholy  light  which  surely 
is  peculiar  to  the  regions  of  the  tropics. 

The  weather  was  admirably  fitted  for  travelling  ;  it 
was  already  the  14th  of  April,  and  yet  I  was  detained 
in  the  Bine' ! 

The  fact  was,  that  I  was  still  waiting  for  the  bulk  of 
the  goods  and  effects  left  behind  in  Benguella  in  the 
month  of  November  of  the  previous  year,  only  a  portion 
having  reached  me  at  the  beginning  of  March !  The 
delay  was  becoming  a  very  serious  matter.  Of  the 
seven  bales  of  goods  left  me  by  Capello  and  Ivens  four 
had  already  melted  away  in  the  maintenance  of  my 
Benguella  followers  and  myself. 

I  had  as  yet  made  no  present  to  the  reigning  chief, 
who,  I  feared,  would  be  applying  for  it,  and  altogether 
the  prospects  of  my  enterprise  looked  anything  but 
promising. 

I  reduced  my  personal  expenses  to  a  minimum,  which 
necessitated  my  devoting  a  couple  of  hours  to  hunting 


BELMONTE. 


181 


after  game.  Of  larger  game  there  was  none,  but  on 
the  other  hand  a  good  many  partridges  were  to  be 
bagged  on  the  left  bank  of  the  river  Cuito,  on  the 
cultivated  grounds  belonging  to  Silva  Porto. 

I  called  the  spot  my  "  poultry  yard,"  and  I  went 
there  daily  to  shoot  one  or  two.  I  never  exceeded  that 
number  for  fear  my  supplies  should  fall  short.  Some- 
what like  the  gambler  who  made  his  livelihood  out  of 
the  table  and  retired  with  just  sufficient  gains  to  meet 
his  daily  requirements,  I  had  to  restrain  my  sportsman's 
instincts,  and  many  times  tear  myself  from  the  field 
where  I  might  easily  have  bagged  a  score  of  birds.  It 
was  not,  however,  without  a  struggle  that  I  did  so,  nor 
without  forcing  upon  my  mind  the  reflection,  that  I 
must  not  in  the  mere  pursuit  of  pleasure  expend  my 
ammunition,  which  was  getting  somewhat  low,  or 
destroy  the  game  which  represented  my  future  sus- 
tenance. 

It  must  not,  however,  be  imagined  that  Silva  Porto's 
partridges  alone  furnished  my  modest  table  with  a  dish. 
Hundreds  of  African  wood-pigeons  flitted  in  and  out 
the  shelter  of  the  trees  on  the  banks  of  the  Cuito  and 
in  the  mornings  and  evenings  came  down  to  wet  their 
beaks  in  the  stream.  My  young  negroes  occasionally 
caught  the  latter  with  gins  and  snares,  when  they 
would  make  a  no  unwelcome  pendant  to  my  tonjours 
perdrix,  flanked  by  a  dish  or  two  of  baked  dough,  made 
with  maize  flour,  and  which  did  duty  for  bread. 

In  this  way  I  managed  to  reduce  my  personal  outlay, 
which  represented  at  least  four  yards  of  white  calico 
per  day,  the  cost  of  a  couple  of  fowls. 

The  delay,  bringing  with  it,  as  it  did,  the  rapid  de- 
crease of  my  resources,  caused  me  to  modify  my  plans. 
The  dreaded  mucano  was  ever  in  my  thoughts,  and  I 
felt  that  if  any  one  should*  plant  a  claim  upon  me,  it 
would  simply  render  my  leaving  the  Bihe  impossible. 


182 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


Besides  this,  the  want  of  occupation  was  beginning  to 
tell  prejudicially  upon  my  men,  and  vices  would  creep 
out  which  amid  the  fatigue  and  excitement  of  travel 
lay  dormant- 
Danger  therefore,  in  various  shapes,  like  so  many 
swords  of  Damocles,  hung  suspended  above  my  head ; 
so  after  much  cogitation  I  determined  to  give  myself 
the  advantage  of  strength,  and  defend  my  property  at 
every  hazard. 

This  determination  required  arms,  and  not  arms 
alone,  but  a  good  store  of  other  munitions  of  war.  I 
possessed  ten  Snider  rifles,  given  me  by  Capello  and 
I vens ;  I  managed  also  to  obtain  eleven  of  those  left 
behind  him  by  Cameron  at  the  termination  of  his 
journey,  and  to  supply  these  weapons  I  had  four 
thousand  cartridges.  Beside  these  I  possessed  some 
twenty  flint-lock  muskets,  some  of  the  last  on  this 
system  used  by  the  European  armies;  but  I  had  no 
ammunition  for  them.  I  then  made  known  that  I  was 
disposed  to  purchase  all  fire-arms  considered  useless 
that  were  brought  me.  This  notice  procured  me  no 
end  of  offers  which  enabled  me  to  pick  and  choose.  I 
bought  those  I  was  able  to  repair,  a  matter  of  no  great 
difficulty  to  me,  as  I  had  learned  to  become  a  tolerably 
good  locksmith  and  gunsmith  under  the  directions  of 
my  father,  himself  a  clever  mechanician,  who  still  is 
accustomed  to  employ  his  leisure  hours  in  his  private 
work-rooms,  which  I  may  truly  say  are  far  better  fitted 
up  than  half  those  belonging  to  regular  professional 
artificers. 

This  explanation  reminds  me  of  an  amusing  anecdote. 
A  gentleman  one  day,  wishing  to  see  my  father  upon 
business,  came  to  our  villa  on  the  Douro,  and  hearing  a 
hammering  noise  in  a  building  not  far  from  the  house, 
directed  his  steps  thither.  He  found  a  capacious  black- 
smith's shop  where  two  men,  with  arms  bare  to  the 


BELMONTE. 


183 


elbow,  their  feet  encased  in  wooden  shoes,  red  night- 
caps on  their  heads,  broad  leathern  aprons  hanging 
from  their  necks  below  their  waists,  their  faces  and 
hands  black  with  coal  and  iron,  were  hammering  at  a 
red-hot  bar  stretched  across  an  enormous  anvil,  whilst 
sparks  of  fire  were  flying  in  every  direction  from 
beneath  their  heavy  blows. 

The  stranger  stopped  at  the  door,  and  inquired :  "  Is 
the  Doctor  within  ?  " 

My  father,  who  was  one  of  the  smiths,  answered  him 
with  another  query  : 

"  Pray  sir,  what  might  you  want  with  him  ?  " 

The  visitor,  a  techy  person,  felt  his  dignity  offended 
by  this  seeming  familiarity  of  a  mere  workman,  and 
rejoined  in  no  very  polite  terms  that  he  had  come  to 
see  his  Excellency  and  would  not  brook,  what  he  con- 
sidered an  insult,  from  one  of  his  menials. 

My  father,  by  his  explanation  that  the  blacksmith 
and  the  doctor  were  one  and  the  same  person,  only 
made  matters  worse,  for  his  interlocutor  took  it  as 
additional  insolence,  and  as  both  parties  were  getting 
very  warm,  the  assistant  smith,  who  was  no  other  than 
myself,  was  compelled  to  come  to  the  rescue,  and  by 
explaining  matters  convince  the  stranger  of  our 
identity. 

The  circumstance  of  having  been  thus  accustomed  to 
turn  my  hand  to  mechanical  wTork,  served  me  then,  as 
at  other  times,  in  good  stead,  and  in  fact  it  might  be 
looked  upon  as  one  of  the  little  brooks  which  helped  to 
swell  the  river  of  the  happy  results  of  my  enterprise. 

Another  labour  was  thus  added  to  the  many  which 
occupied  my  days,  and  I  shortly  found  myself  the  pos- 
sessor of  twenty-five  more  guns  which  the  natives  had 
rejected  as  useless. 

Still,  ammunition  was  wanting,  and  ammunition  I 
must  have.    I  found  in  Silva  Porto's  house  a  complete 


184 


TEE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


collection  of  the  Gazeta  de  Portugal,  so  that  there  was 
no  want  of  paper  for  cartridges.  I  knew  that  among 
the  goods  I  was  expecting  from  Benguella  there  must 
be  a  good  deal  of  powder,  and  therefore  my  chief  care 
was  to  obtain  bullets.  As  to  getting  any  lead,  that 
was  impossible,  and  I  consequently  soon  decided  upon 
making  them  of  wrought  iron.  Iron  was  wanting,  it 
was  true,  but  that  was  not  so  difficult  of  attainment. 

I  again  gave  out  that  I  was  prepared  to  buy  all  the 
old  iron  offered  me,  an  announcement  that  was  speedily 
answered  by  the  appearance  of  a  vast  quantity  of  worn- 
out  spades  and  mattocks,  and  more  especially  of  hoops 
of  brandy-casks.  I  had  got  together  some  400  pounds 
weight  before  I  suspended  my  purchases. 

I  then  procured  four  of  the  country  blacksmiths,  set 
up  two  native  forges  in  the  inner  court,  to  the  great 
scandal  of  the  negress  Rosa,  administratrix  of  the 
village  of  Belmonte,  and  my  own  men  having  produced 
a  lot  of  charcoal  by  burning  the  iron-wood  palisade  of 
an  abandoned  enclosure,  we  soon  commenced  operations 
in  right  good  earnest. 

The  first  labour  was  to  reduce  all  that  mass  of  iron 
to  cylindrical  bars  of  the  proper  diameter  of  the  bullets. 
This  the  fellows  succeeded  in  doing  very  dexterously. 
The  hoops  were  made  up  into  bundles,  eight  inches 
long  by  one  and  a  half  inch  thick,  and  being  taken 
from  the  furnace  when  red-hot,  were  plunged  into  a 
heap  of  rubbish  and  water.  On  their  cooling  they  were 
again  put  in  the  furnace,  and  having  arrived  at  the 
proper  temperature  they  were  readily  dealt  with  and 
reduced  into  a  solid,  homogeneous  mas?  From  this 
point  the  men's  work  was  easy. 

The  purchase  of  the  arms  and  iron  had  considerably 
diminished  my  means,  and  yet  I  was  far  from  having 
everything  I  wanted.  I  had  no  beads — at  least,  no 
available  ones — for  though  a  bag  of  them  had  been 


BELMONTE.  185 

sent  me  by  my  late  companions,  they  were  not  current 
in  the  districts  to  which  I  intended  proceeding.  I 
endeavoured  to  buy  some  in  the  Bihe,  and  with  a  good 
deal  of  trouble  managed  to  procure  from  the  various 


24. — Articles  manufactured  by  the  Bihenos. 

1.  Bellows.  2.  Bellows  ready  mounted.  3.  Earthenware  muzzle.  4.  Pincers. 
5.  Larse  hammer.  6.  A  fragment  of  a  musket  with  a  wooden  handle  used  by 
the  smith  to  r  move  small  pieces  from  the  furnace.  7.  Small  hammer. 
8,  Kitchen  pots.    9.  Large  pipkin  for  capata.    10.  Drums. 

negroes  a  small  quantity,  enough  to  compose  a  porter's 
load.  This  of  course  made  a  fresh  hole  in  my  stock  of 
cloth,  so  that  by  the  1 7th  of  April  I  had  scarcely  a 
pack  lett. 


186 


TEE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


There  was  one  thing  which,  since  my  arrival  at  the 
Bine',  I  missed  exceedingly,  and  that  was  an  alarum.  I 
had  forgotten  to  bring  one  with  me,  and  the  omission 
cost  me,  before  my  journey  was  over,  very  great  in- 
convenience and  more  than  one  fever.  For  instance, 
whenever  I  had  to  make  any  observations  after  mid- 
night, I  was  obliged  to  keep  awake  until  the  hour 
arrived  ;  and  it  is  not  a  little  dull  and  trying  to  pass 
the  night,  struggling  against  sleep,  without  a  light, 
and  therefore  with  no  means  of  killing  time. 

On  the  19th  Ivens  came  to  call  upon  me,  and  caused 
me,  by  his  appearance,  no  little  anxiety  concerning  the 
state  of  his  health. 

He  had  got  exceedingly  thin,  was  deathly  pale,  and 
bore  a  look  of  constant  suffering  upon  his  features.  I 
wanted  him  to  come  and  dine  with  me  the  following 
day,  it  being  the  anniversary  of  my  birth,  but  he 
excused  himself  on  the  score  of  his  health. 

Two  days  afterwards  I  went  over  to  my  late  com- 
panions' encampment  to  return  Ivens'  visit.  Capello 
was  absent,  having  gone  to  determine  the  position  of 
the  source  of  the  Cuanza. 

By  the  25th  I  had  ten  thousand  bullets  ready,  or 
more  correctly  speaking  ten  thousand  iron  pellets, 
roughly  wrought,  all  pretending  to  a  spherical  shape. 
They  answered  my  purpose,  however,  and  I  dismissed 
my  operators.  On  that  same  day,  the  first  Bailundos 
arrived  with  the  Benguella  goods,  and  on  the  following 
day  more  of  them  appeared.  These  Bailundos  turned 
out  to  be  insolent  fellows,  and  caused  great  disorder  in 
Belmonte,  indeed  the  mischief  would  have  assumed 
larger  proportions  if  I  had  not  myself  interfered  to 
check  the  rioters.  I  took  from  out  the  goods  ten  packs  of 
cloth,  three  casks  of  aguardente,  and  two  bags  of  cowries. 

I  still  wanted  powder  and  salt,  the  two  things  that 
were  yet  lagging  behind. 


BELMONTE. 


187 


I  then  got  ready  the  present  for  the  Sova,  and 
prepared  for  my  departure,  because  having  the  cartridges 
all  in  readiness,  I  knew  that  I  could  in  two  or  three 
days  fill  them  with  powder.  I  sent  out  messengers  to 
get  the  carriers  together,  so  as  to  have  everything  in 
a  condition  to  start  at  a  moment's  notice. 


Fig.  25. 


QUINPA,  OR  STRAW  BASKET  LARGE  SIEVE  FOR  PRYING 


WniCH   WILL  HOLD  WATER.  RICE  OR  MAIZE  FLOUR. 


S9 


Sifting  Sieve.  Ladle  for  watering  the  Capata. 

On  the  29th  of  April,  Silva  Porto's  blacks  robbed  me 
of  some  trifling  article,  which  made  me  very  angry  and 
threaten  to  send  them  back  to  Benguella.  In  order  to 
recover  my  good  graces,  they  came  to  inform  me  that 
they  knew  where  four  muskets,  which  had  been  stolen 
from  the  expedition  on  the  road  from  Benguella,  were 


188  THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


now  concealed.  One  of  them,  it  appears,  had  been 
appropriated  by  Mr.  Magalhaes,  the  owner  of  the 
premises  where  I  was  first  quartered  in  the  Bihe.  I 
succeeded  in  recovering  the  whole  of  them. 

I  was  just  at  this  time  so  busy  as  to  have  scarcely  a 
moment  to  eat  my  dinner.  I  had  to  arrange  the  loads, 
and  be  present  at  every  operation  to  avoid  being 
robbed,  for  all  the  blacks,  Silva  Porto's  and  my  own 
into  the  bargain,  were  a  band  of  thieves. 

There  was  one  exception,  however,  but  one  only. 
This  was  my  negro  Augusto,  who  always  displayed  the 
utmost  fidelity  towards  me.  When  I  engaged  the 
porters  in  Benguella,  I  hired  Augusto  among  the  rest, 
and  at  the  time  attached  no  sort  of  importance  to  him, 
as  there  appeared  but  little  to  distinguish  him  from  the 
others,  unless  it  was  perhaps  his  being  given  somewhat 
more  than  they  to  drunkenness. 

In  distributing  the  fire-arms,  the  men  made  some 
difficulty  about  accepting  the  Sniders  whilst  Augusto 
on  the  contrary  specially  asked  for  one.  This  first 
attracted  my  attention  to  him.  One  day,  in  the  Douibe 
country,  I  exercised  the  men  in  shooting  at  a  mark, 
and  found  he  was  a  very  tolerable  shot.  Later  on,  in 
Quillengues,  I  heard  that  he  had  asserted  among  his 
fellows  his  determination  never  to  leave  me,  and  as,  on 
account  of  his  herculean  strength,  and  courage,  he  had 
secured  a  great  ascendency  over  his  companions,  I  made 
him  one  of  my  body-guard. 

At  the  time  at  which  my  narrative  has  arrived  he 
had  improved  his  position,  and  from  being  a  simple 
carrier  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  chief,  a  position 
which  he  filled  most  satisfactorily,  for  those  who  did 
not  like  or  respect  him,  and  they  were  few,  were  afraid 
of  him. 

Augusto  was  decidedly  the  best  negro  I  met  with  in 
Africa.    But  no  one  is  perfect  in  this  world,  and 


BELMONTE. 


189 


Augusto  was  far  from  being  an  exception  to  the  rule. 
Among  his  defects  I  must  mention  one,  which  I  am 
nevertheless  inclined  to  treat  rather  tenderly,  for  though 
it  is  unquestionably  a  serious  failing  in  an  African 
traveller,  it  may  elsewhere  be  ranked  among  the 
virtues. 

To  describe  it  briefly  :  Augusto  was  desperately  fond 
of  the  fair  sex. 

Strong  as  a  "buffalo,  courageous  as  a  lion,  he  deemed 
it,  I  suppose,  his  duty  to  give  protection  and  support 
to  the  frail  beings  he  met  upon  his  way. 

It  would  be  too  long  to  record  his  aventures  galantes 
from  Benguella  to  the  Bihe.  Married  in  Benguella,  he 
took  another  wife  at  the  Dombe,  another  at  Quillengues, 
a  fresh  one  at  Caconda,  wedded  anew  in  the  Huambo, 
and  since  his  arrival  at  the  Bihe  had  gone  through  the 
marriage  ceremony  three  or  four  times  more.  He  was 
in  fact  a  true  Don  Juan,  only  a  black  one. 

Obedient  enough  in  all  things  else,  he  was  completely 
deaf  to  my  admonitions  on  this  subject.  But  one  day, 
as  the  complaints  of  his  various  wives  were  loud  and 
troublesome,  I  summoned  him  to  my  presence,  repre- 
hended him  severely  and  threatened  to  turn  him  adrift 
if  he  did  not  amend.  He  blubbered  a  good  deal,  threw 
himself  on  his  knees  at  my  feet,  made  a  thousand  promises 
to  reform,  and  said  if  I  would  only  let  him  have  a  piece 
of  cloth  to  divide  among  the  women  and  stop  their 
tongues  he  would  have  nothing  more  to  say  to  them, 
but  would  remain  faithful  to  his  Marcolina,  his  Benguella 
partner. 

I  gave  him  the  cloth  and  felt  delighted  at  having 
brought  about  such  sincere  repentance. 

That  very  evening,  I  was  disturbed  by  an  unusual 
noise  in  a  distant  part  of  the  village,  wmere  songs 
and  other  sounds  of  merriment  indicated  some  festive 
event. 


190 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


I  had  the  curiosity  to  learn  the  cause  and  sent  some 
one  out  to  inquire.  The  reader  may  conceive  my 
feelings  when  I  was  told  that  it  was  Augusto  celebra- 
ting his  fresh  marriage  with  a  girl  from  the  village  of 
Jamba ! 

There  was  no  help  for  it.  I  saw  that  this  mania  of 
getting  married  was  stronger  than  his  will,  and  I  there- 
fore determined  in  my  own  mind  to  interfere  no  more 
with  his  matrimonial  affairs  which,  after  all  said  and 
done,  compromised  no  one,  as  the  rascal  always  kept 
within  the  limits  of  the  law. 

It  was  now  the  second  of  May,  and  as  yet  I  had  been 


Fig.  26.— A  Bm£  Head-Dress. 


unable  to  get  the  carriers  together,  while  I  was  still 
waiting  for  the  powder  and  salt  that  had  been 
despatched  from  Benguella. 

Yerissimo  was  doing  his  best  to  collect  the  men,  but 
hitherto  without  success. 

On  the  following  morning  as  I  was  busy  about  the 
house,  I  heard  outside,  to  my  astonishment,  the  sounds 


BELMONTE. 


191 


of  a  violin,  playing  very  melodious  airs,  and  totally 
different  to  the  monotonous  music  usual  among  the 
negroes. 

I  ordered  that  the  minstrel  should  be  brought  in, 
and  there  appeared  before  me  a  tall,  spare,  black  man, 
almost  naked,  with  a  countenance  at  once  melancholy 
and  expressive. 

The  instrument  he  carried  was  a  fiddle  manufactured 
by  himself,  and  out  of  which  he  brought  sounds  as 
melodious  and  powerful  as  could  be  yielded  by  a 
Stradivarius.  The  body  of  the  instrument,  and 
handle,  very  similar  in  shape  to  those  of  the  European 
violin,  were  cut  out  of  a  single  block  of  wood,  and  a 
thin  piece  of  the  same  wood  formed  the  top. 

It  was  furnished  with  three  strings  of  gut,  the  work 
also  of  the  musician's  hand,  and  the  bow  was  formed  of 
two  similar  strings  in  lieu  of  the  usual  horsehair. 

It  was  undoubtedly  an  imitation  of  the  European 
fiddle,  and  not  an  original  instrument. 

The  wood  of  which  it  was  composed  is  called  in  the 
country  bole,  and  abounds  in  the  forests  of  West  Central 
Africa.  It  might  not  be  amiss  to  make  some  experi- 
ments with  this  wood  in  the  manufacture  of  stringed 
instruments. 

The  negro  musician  sang  an  air  in  my  praise,  a 
mezzo  petto,  in  a  most  agreeable  voice,  with  au  accom- 
paniment of  his  rude  but  harmonious  violin.  He  was 
much  applauded  by  the  natives  who  flocked  around 
him,  and  I  was  myself  extremely  pleased  with  this 
unexpected  and  original  music. 

Several  negroes  from  the  trading  station  of  Andulo 
arrived  at  the  village,  offering  for  sale  some  very  good 
tobacco,  which  is  extensively  cultivated  in  that  country. 
It  is  the  Andulo  tobacco  which  the  Bihenos  purchase 
and  carry  to  Benguella,  where  it  is  sold  under  the 
name  of  Bihe  tobacco. 


192 


TEE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


I  bought  a  lot  of  it,  and  it  cost  me,  according  to  my 
calculations,  about  a  shilling  a  pound. 

By  way  of  curiosity  I  append  the  prices  of  various 
articles  at  the  Bihe,  observing,  at  the  same  time,  that 
they  are  not  precisely  the  same  as  I  was  compelled  to  pay. 

A  chicken  is  worth  a  yard  of  cloth ;  six  eggs  may 
be  had  for  the  same  ;  a  two-year-old  kid  will  cost  8 
yards;  a  pig,  weighing  from  160  to  200  lbs.  is  valued 
at  one  piece  of  white  and  one  piece  of  blue  cloth,  known 
as  zuarte ;  a  peck  and  a  half  of  maize  flour  may  be 
obtained  for  2  yards  of  cloth,  and  a  like  measure  of 
manioc  flour  for  3  yards.  The  yards  here  referred  to 
are  the  ordinary  trade  ones,  the  price  of  which  at  the 
Bihe  must  r,ever  be  reckoned  higher  than  10c?. 

The  name  given  to  the  trade  yard  in  the  Bihe 
district  is  a  pano ;  two  yards  are  called  a  beca ;  four  a 
lencol ;  and  eight  a  quirana. 

The  goods  proper  for  the  Bihe'  and  commercial  marts 
frequented  by  the  Bihenos  are,  white  cloth;  zuarte,  or 
blue  stuff;  printed  zuarte;  handkerchiefs  of  printed 
zudrte  ;  fine  handkerchiefs  and  checkered  ones  ;  striped 
and  other  cottons — all  of  most  inferior  quality. 

The  pieces  of  white  cloth  contain  28  yards  each,  and 
others  of  better  quality  30.  The  zuarte  and  striped, 
18  yards;  printed  handkerchiefs,  8  yards;  checkered, 
6  ;  and  trade  cloth,  12  yards. 

Merchandise  of  good  quality  is  very  inconvenient  to 
the  traveller  in  this  part  of  Africa,  because  whilst  it 
enjoys  no  greater  favour  in  the  eyes  of  the  natives  it  is 
considerably  heavier. 

I  had  a  couple  of  loads  which  I  had  prepared  upon 
the  spot,  each  of  which  contained  624  yards  ;  and  the 
others,  containing  scarcely  180  yards  of  fine  white  cloth, 
were  much  heavier.* 

*  By  "  a  load"  I  mean  as  much  as  a  man  can  conveniently  carry,  say  about 
seventy-five  pounds. — The  Author. 


BELMONTE. 


193 


This  will  sufficiently  prove  the  inconvenience  of  the 
superior  material,  as  in  addition  to  its  greater  cost, 
there  is  increased  difficulty  and  expense  in  its  convey- 
ance:  it  requires  three  men  to  carry  it,  where  one  will 
suffice  in  the  other  case. 

The  argument  in  favour  of  the  inferior  article  applies 
naturally  with  great  force  to  the  explorer,  for  as  he 
intends  to  employ  his  goods  in  the  shape  of  money,  to 
barter  away  for  the  necessaries  of  life,  the  same  number 
of  yards  of  common  cloth  will  procure  him  just  as  much 
as  a  like  quantity  of  fine. 

White  cotton  cloth  of  inferior  quality,  and  zuart?,  the 
blue,  are  the  best  money  the  traveller  can  carry  with 
him  in  this  part  of  the  world. 

The  same  rule  will  not  hold  so  good  with  beads, 
inasmuch  as  those  which  are  held  in  high  esteem  in 
some  parts  will  scarcely  be  looked  at  elsewhere,  in  fact, 
in  some  cases  only  a  few  miles  distant ;  for  instance  : 
in  the  Bailundo  country  black  beads  are  much  sought 
after,  while  in  the  Bihe  they  are  not  current  at  all. 

Still,  there  is  one  class  of  beads  which  is  pretty 
generally  received  throughout  South  Central  Africa,, 
This  is  a  small  red  article  with  a  white  eye,  on  which, 
in  Benguella,  the  trade  has  bestowed  the  name  of 
Maria  Segunda. 

The  small  cowry  is  current  from  beyond  the  Cuanza 
to  the  Zambesi,  but  the  larger  kind  is  of  no  use  at  all. 

Brass-  or  copper-wire  is  esteemed  for  bracelets,  but  it 
should  not  in  these  parts  ever  exceed  about  an  eighth  of 
an  inch  in  thickness. 

Scarlet  caps,  sandalled  shoes,  soldiers'  uniforms,  &c, 
are  a  delusion  and  a  snare,  for  though  highly  appreciated 
as  presents  for  Sovas  and  Seculos,  they  are  the  very 
worst  of  money. 

Again,  blankets  and,  above  all,  those  showy  rugs  used 
by  travellers  in  Europe,  are  greatly  coveted  by  the 

VOL.  i.  o 


194 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


natives,  but  must  be  classified  with  the  uniforms  and 
caps,  as  forming  excellent  presents  but  a  poor  cur- 
rency. 

This  same  remark  will  equally  apply  to  hand-organs, 
musical-boxes,  and  other  articles  of  a  like  nature. 

Conjuring  tricks  and  phenomena  of  physics  and 
chemistry  make  a  certain  impression  on  the  natives,  but 
not  nearly  so  deep  a  one  as  people  in  Europe  are 
inclined  to  think.  Not  understanding  the  causes  which 
produce  such  phenomena,  they  attribute  them  without 
hesitation  to  sorcery  or  witchcraft,  to  which  they  assign 
everything  they  cannot  explain. 

From  my  own  experience  that  which  produces  the 
greatest  impression  on  the  natives,  and  that  which  they 
most  admire,  is  skill  in  the  use  of  fire  arms. 

If  a  man  can  bring  down  any  prey  in  presence  of  an 
assembly  of  blacks,  if  he  can  put  six  bullets  into  a  small 
and  distant  bull's  eye,  if  he  can  sever  the  stalk  of  a  fruit 
hanging  high  above  his  head,  or  hit  a  bird  upon  the 
wing,  he  will  of  a  certainty  receive  great  consideration 
and  become  for  a  long  time  after  the  subject  of  conver- 
sation. 

In  proof  of  this  I  may  mention  a  little  incident  which 
occurred  to  myself  in  the  village  where  I  was  staying. 
It  happened  one  morning  that  a  Biheno  medicine-man 
made  his  appearance  bringing  with  him  a  "  remedy  " 
which  he  asserted  was  a  preservative  against  bullets. 

The  belief  in  such  things  is  general  among  the 
Bihenos,  and  there  are  many  who  have  been  known 
to  expend  all  they  had  in  the  world  for  the  possession 
of  this  inestimable  medicine,  which  is  supposed  to 
render  them  more  invulnerable  than  was  Achilles  of 
old,  inasmuch  as  there  is  no  possibility  of  killing  them 
even  through  a  single  heel. 

A  civilised  Creole,  educated  in  Benguella,  whom  I 
fell  in  with,  actually  laughed  at  me  when  I  told  him 


BELMONTE. 


195 


that  in  spite  of  any  "remedy"  to  the  contrary,  I  would 
undertake  to  put  a  bullet  clean  through  his  body. 

But  to  return  to  my  story.  My  friend  the  medicine- 
man exhibited  a  pipkin  that  might  have  held  half-a- 
pint  full  of  this  precious  preservative,  and  asserted  that 
he  who  took  it  would  become  as  invulnerable  as  was 
the  vessel  which  held  the  liquid  ;  the  best  shots  in  the 
world,  according  to  his  account,  having  struck  it  again 
and  again  without  doing  it  the  slightest  injury.  In 
his  desire  to  afford  the  public  an  irrefragable  proof  of 
his  assertion,  he  had  the  boldness  to  defy  me  to  crack 
the  pipkin,  taking  care,  however,  to  place  it  at  such  a 
distance  (eighty  paces)  as  to  render  it,  in  his  mind, 
humanly  impossible  for  me  to  hit  so  small  an  object. 

I  took  my  rifle  and,  amid  the  breathless  attention 
of  the  assembled  blacks,  raised  it  to  my  shoulder  and 
fired.  The  pipkin  flew  into  a  hundred  fragments  and 
the  precious  liquor  spirted  far  and  wide. 

Never,  surely,  was  mortal  more  enthusiastically 
applauded  than  I,  by  the  natives  there  assembled.  As 
for  the  poor  medicine-man,  whose  anticipated  triumph 
was  thus  turned  into  disastrous  defeat,  he  slunk  off  amid 
the  uproar. 

The  best  of  the  country  marksmen  are  but  mediocre 
shots,  and  the  arrow  and  the  assegai  in  the  hands  of 
the  blacks  are  much  more  to  be  apprehended  than  fire- 
arms. 

Yerissimo  set  out  to  collect  the  carriers,  returning  on 
the  5  th  May  with  a  few  and  a  promise  of  others  for 
the  following  day. 

On  that  same  morning  I  received  letters  and  goods 
from  Benguella,  sent  me  by  Pereira  de  Mello  and  Silva 
Porto.  The  articles,  and  above  all,  the  kindly  words 
which  accompanied  them,  made  a  deep  impression  upon 
my  mind,  and  I  am  happy  to  be  able  thus  publicly  to 
express  mv  sense  of  their  considerate  generosity. 

o  2 


196 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


Pereira  de  Mello's  parcels  contained  sixteen  muskets, 
sixty  pounds  of  soap,  a  watch  and  a  load  of  salt,  all  of 
them  articles  of  the  utmost  value  to  me. 

But,  as  I  repeat,  my  gratitude  was  less  awakened 
towards  the  worthy  Governor  of  Benguella  for  this 
valuable  consignment,  than  for  his  letter  and  the 
expressions  of  friendship  it  contained. 

Among  other  things,  he  said  that  if  I  persisted  in 
continuing  my  journey  I  might  reckon  upon  the  entire 
support  he  was  able  to  give  me  in  his  official  capacity, 
and  that  if,  perchance,  superior  orders  should  restrain 
him  as  u  the  Governor,"  I  might  count  upon  him  as 
"  the  man  "  Pereira  de  Mello. 

He  further  informed  me  that  he  had  not  received 
from  the  authorities  at  home  any  orders  not  to  furnish 
me  with  such  means  as  I  might  stand  in  need  of ; 
but  that  should  such  orders  come  to  hand,  he,  and  the 
merchants  of  Benguella,  were  ready  to  forward  me 
anything  I  might  require. 

Next  came  Silva  Porto's  letter,  which  was  no  less 
dear  to  me. 

In  it  the  thoughtful  old  trader  said  I  must  not  start 
without  ample  resources.  That  I  must  apply  to 
Benguella  for  whatsoever  I  might  judge  necessary,  and 
that  he  would  undertake  to  despatch  to  the  Bihe  any- 
thing I  should  ask  for. 

He  concluded  his  epistle  in  these  terms  : — "  lam  an  old 
man  but  am  still  tough  and  strong  :  if,  my  friend,  you 
should  find  yourself  in  the  interior  surrounded  by  peril, 
with  all  but  hope  gone,  try  and  hold  your  own,  and 
despatch  me  a  letter  through  the  natives,  at  any 
cost.  Keep  an  even  mind  and  wait :  for  within  the 
shortest  possible  time  I  will  be  with  you,  and  will 
bring  help  and  means.  You  know  I  am  not  accustomed 
to  make  vain,  promises  :  if  you  want  me,  write,  and  I 
will  depart  forthwith." 


BELMONTE. 


197 


No  commentary  is  needed  upon  words  like  these,  nor, 
beyond  recording  them,  will  I  express  my  feelings  of 
gratitude  and  appreciation. 

These  things  which  I  received  from  Benguella  were 
brought  me  by  a  brother  of  Verissimo's,  Joaquim 
Guilherme,  who  stated  that  on  the  following  day  the 
remainder  of  the  loads  belonging  to  the  expedition 
would  arrive,  and  with  them  the  powder  I  was  so 
anxiously  looking  for. 

As  was  always  the  case  when  a  porter  came  from 
Benguella,  I  received  a  little  present  from  Antonio 
Ferreira  Marques,  in  the  shape  of  some  dainty  or  other 
for  the  table. 

On  the  6th  May,  at  last,  the  powder  arrived,  and  I 
at  once  set  about  the  great  task  of  filling  the  cartridges. 

During  the  space  of  four  days  I  kept  between  thirty- 
six  and  forty  men  at  work  at  this  duty.  Every  thing 
was  ready  by  the  10th — and  on  the  11th  May  I  had 
collected  the  whole  of  my  carriers.  I  distributed  their 
loads,  made  other  preparations,  and  gave  orders  for  the 
departure  on  the  following  morning. 

But  when  the  actual  day  arrived,  and  I  had  every 
reason  to  believe  I  was  going  to  start  in  good  earnest, 
1  discovered  there  were  but  thirty  men  at  hand,  all  the 
others  having  taken  to  flight ! 

I  then  learned  that  on  the  evening  before,  a  negro,  by 
name  Muene-hombo,  belonging  to  Silva  Porto,  had,  with 
certain  other  blacks  unknown,  been  among  the  Bihenos, 
spreading  the  report  that  I  intended  to  lead  them  to 
the  sea,  whence  they  would  never  return,  as  it  was  my 
object  to  sell  them  for  slaves. 

Muene-hombo  had  fled  with  the  Bihenos,  and  I  never 
set  eyes  upon  him  again. 

This  intelligence  caused  me  infinite  depression  of 
spirits. 

The  carriers  whom  I  had  got  together  at  so  great  a 


198 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


cost,  whom  I  bad  hired  after  the  utmost  labour  and 
pains,  in  whose  minds  I  had  had  to  overcome  with  such 
care  and  patience  the  apprehensions  they  entertained 
of  my  enterprise,  had  abandoned  me  after  all,  under 
the  hasty  conviction  that  I  intended  to  lead  them  to 
perdition. 

It  was  a  terrible  blow. 

The  news  would  soon  spread  throughout  the  Bihe ; 
the  conviction  alluded  to  would  shortly  take  possession 
of  every  black  in  the  place  :  it  would  override  all  my 
arguments  to  the  contrary,  and  then  how  would  it  be 
possible  to  get  a  man  to  serve  me  ? 

I  almost  myself  lost  faith  in  the  undertaking,  and 
for  the  first  time  after  those  days  in  Lisbon  when 
I  determined  to  become  an  explorer,  a  feeling  of  dis- 
couragement crept  over  my  mind,  for  I  knew  too  well 
how  fruitless  was  the  effort  to  struggle  against  a  con- 
viction of  these  people. 

But  who  was  it  that  could  have  induced  this  fellow, 
Muene-hombo,  to  play  me  so  treacherous  a  trick  ? 

Who  were  and  whence  came  the  negroes  who  were 
his  companions  in  the  village  the  day  before  ? 

Whose  was  the  hand  which  pulled  the  strings  in  this 
intrigue  ? 

Again  and  again  did  I  put  these  questions  to  myself 
without  eliciting  an  answer  that  was  other  than  a 
vague  suspicion. 

All  day  was  I  engaged  in  turning  the  matter  oyer 
in  my  mind.  At  one  time  I  thought  of  retracing  my 
steps  to  Benguella,  when  the  letters  of  encouragement 
from  Silva  Porto  and  Pereira  de  Mello  suddenly  oc- 
curred to  me. 

W^hy  should  I  not  accept  the  suggestion  made 
me  by  the  former,  and  beg  him  to  come  hither  ?  His 
presence  in  the  Bihe  might  procure  me  followers. 

I  determined  that  I  would  write  to  him  next  day. 


BELMONTR 


199 


and  the  resolution  somewhat  tranquillised  the  agitation 
in  my  mind. 

But  with  the  night  came  further  reflection :  before 
applying  to  him  it  was  my  duty  to  exhaust  every  means 
of  obtaining  assistance  through  my  own  exertions.  He 
ought  to  be  my  very  last  resource. 

When  day  broke  on  the  13th,  I  sent  Yerissimo  and 
certain  negroes  in  the  enjoyment  of  Silva  Porto's  con- 
fidence, to  endeavour  to  contract  other  men. 

They  returned,  not  without  hope  of  success,  and 
the  work  began  anew  of  organising  a  fresh  band — 
a  labour,  as  may  well  be  believed,  much  more  difficult 
than  before. 

They  advised  my  leaving  Belmonte  and  pitching 
my  camp  in  the  wood  at  some  distance  from  the  village, 
as  they  assured  me  that  a  caravan  upon  the  march  would 
be  more  likely  to  awaken  a  desire  for  enlistment. 

On  the  22nd  of  May,  having  succeeded  in  obtaining 
a  few,  a  very  few  carriers,  I  resolved  to  make  a  move 
with  them  and  my  Quimbares  on  the  following  day, 
the  23rd,  a  determination  which  I  carried  into  effect 
by  forming  an  encampment  in  the  Cabir  woods. 

At  dusk  of  that  day,  eleven  carriers  put  in  an  ap- 
pearance conducted  by  a  negro,  Antonio,  a  man  already 
advanced  in  years,  a  native  of  Pungo  Andongo  who 
had  been  in  the  service  of  two  renowned  traders,  Luiz 
Albino  and  Gruilherme  Gonc,alves. 

The  night  proved  very  cold  and  we  were  forced  to 
spend  greater  part  of  it  watching  by  our  fires. 

The  petty  chief  of  Cabir  paid  me  a  visit  next  day, 
bringing  with  him  a  pig  as  a  present.  This  civility  I 
returned  in  kind  and  we  were  soon  on  excellent 
terms. 

He  lent  me  some  pestles  and  mortars  and  sent  some 
women  to  make  maize-flour. 

I  walked  round  his  village  and  passed  through  the 


200 


TEE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


plantations,  where  I  found  women  engaged  in  field-work- 
bent  double  as  they  hoed  the  ground. 

On  my  return  to  the  encampment  I  was  met  by  a 
black  from  Novo  Redondo,  who  had  been  unable  to 
follow  Capello  and  Ivens  on  account  of  the  state  of  his 
health.  He  could  do  little  but  crawl,  and  was  a  prey 
to  a  burning  fever. 

I  saw  that  his  condition  was  hopeless  and  that  his 


Fig.  27 — BinE  Women  pounding  Maize. 


hold  of  life  was  of  the  meagrest.  Still,  as  he  begged  me 
not  to  abandou  him,  I  had  him  carried  into  the  camp 
and  placed  under  the  care  of  Doctor  Chacaiombe. 

I  received  a  visit  from  Tiberio  Jose  Coimbra,  son  of 
Coimbra,  Major  of  the  Bihe,  who  obtained  for  me  a 
few  carriers  from  among  the  natives  of  his  village. 

In  the  course  of  the  day  some  twelve  more  came  in 
quite  unexpectedly,  under  the  leadership  of  the  negro 
ChaquiQonde,  brother  of  Verissimo's  mother. 


BELMONTE. 


201 


Hope  again  began  to  revive  within  me,  and  I  set 
about  organising  my  new  caravan. 

1  determined  to  make  a  start  on  the  27th  and  to 
pitch  my  camp  near  the  dwelling  of  Jose  Alves,  trust- 
ing to  complete  there  the  number  of  natives  I  wanted. 
I  obtained  from  the  petty  chief  of  Cabir  a  few  men  to 
convey  thither  the  loads  for  which  I  had  no  carrier, 
together  with  four  men  and  a  litter  for  my  Novo 
Redondo  patient. 

I  was  able  to  leave  at  the  time  appointed,  stopping, 
half  an  hour  after  we  started,  in  the  village  of  Cuionja, 
the  residence  of  Tiberio  Jose  Coimbra,  where  an 
excellent  breakfast  was  awaiting  me,  with  capital  tea. 
There  were  even  table-napkins  ! 

Two  hours  having  been  very  pleasantly  spent  I 
moved  onwards,  and  after  four  hours'  journey  reached 
the  village  of  Caquenha. 

I  there  halted  to  see  old  Domingos  Chacahanga,  the 
chief  man  of  the  place. 

Chacahanga,  formerly  a  slave  of  Silva  Porto,  was  at 
the  head  of  the  celebrated  expedition  which  the  latter 
sent  from  the  Bine'  to  Mozambique,  and  which  succeeded 
in  reaching  Cape  Delgado,  on  the  coast  of  the  Indian 
Ocean ;  and  he  was  the  only  survivor  of  that  bold 
undertaking. 

The  old  man  received  me  very  kindly  and  gave  me  a 
young  kid. 

I  had  a  long  talk  with  him;  but  all  my  efforts  were 
vain  to  elicit  from  him  any  reliable  data  as  to  his  course 
on  that  occasion. 

That  it  lay  much  farther  to  the  north  than  the 
indication  given  on  the  maps,  I  had  no  doubt  whatso- 
ever, inasmuch  as  there  were  three  points  which  he  laid 
down  most  clearly. 

One  was  the  having,  in  the  Zambesi,  left  to  the 
southward  the  country  of  the  Machachas  ;  another,  the 


202 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


having  crossed  the  Luapula ;  and  the  third,  the  having 
skirted  the  northern  part  of  Lake  Nyassa. 

Two  hours  after  taking  leave  of  Chacahanga  I  camped 
in  the  Woods  of  the  Commandant,  about  a  mile  and  a 
quarter  S.  E.  of  Jose  Alves's  enclosure. 

Night  had  now  fallen  and  I  waited  till  next  day 
before  calling  upon  this  personage,  whom  Cameron  has 
made  so  widely  known. 

It  was  therefore  on  the  28th  of  May  that  I  found 
myself  in  presence  of  this  renowned  African  trader. 

Jose'  Antonio  Alves  is  a  negro  pur  sang,  born  in 
Pungo  Andongo,  who,  like  many  others  trading  from 
that  place  and  from  Ambaca,  knows  how  to  read  and 
write. 

In  the  Bihe  they  call  him  a  white,  because  they 
bestow  that  name  upon  every  man  of  colour  who  wears 
trousers  and  sandalled  shoes  and  carries  an  umbrella.* 
In  Benguella  they  condescend  to  style  him  a  mulatto, 
of  a  dark  complexion,  but  the  truth  is,  there  is  not  a 
drop  of  European  blood  in  his  veins,  and  he  is  not  only 
a  black  in  colour  and  by  descent,  but  has  all  the  instincts 
of  the  negro. 

He  came  to  the  Bihe'  in  1845,  where  he  was  employed 
by  one  of  the  inland  traders  and  subsequently  commenced 
business  on  his  own  account,  being  assisted  by  Ferra- 
mentos  of  Benguella,  now  doing  a  large  trade  under  the 
firm  of  J.  Ferreira  Goncalves. 

Jose  Alves  is  a  man  about  fifty-eight  years  of  age, 
somewhat  grizzled,  thin  in  body,  and  suffering  from  a 
lung  complaint. 

He  lives  like  any  other  black,  and  has  all  the  customs 
and  beliefs  of  the  untutored  natives. 

*  This  reminds  me  of  a  remark  made  by  Ivens,  when  speaking  of  one  of 
these  men,  in  that  pleasant  way  of  his  which  never  abandoned  him  under  the 
most  painful  circumstances :  "  1  saw,"  he  said,  "  a  jet  black  negro  come  into 
my  camp  with  sandals  on,  and  a  parasol  in  his  hand,  so  I  knew  he  was  a 
white  man,  and  trembled  accordingly.* 


BELMONTE. 


203 


At  the  time  of  my  arrival  at  Jose  Alves's  house  he 
was  engaged  in  deciding  a  mucano. 

In  answer  to  my  inquiries  I  was  informed  that  a 
mulatto  in  Jose  Alves's  employ  had  seduced  one  of  the 
girls  belonging  to  the  latter,  and  as  the  young  fellow 
had  no  property  of  his  own,  a  mucano  was  pronounced 
upon  his  mother's  family,  who  did  possess  something 
and  from  whom  was  demanded  in  payment  of  the 
offence  an  ox  'or  other  animal  by  way  of  cleansing  his 
heart.  As  he  gave  me  the  explanation,  the  old  fellow 
passed  the  rugged  palm  of  his  huge  hand  over  the  part 
of  his  trunk  which  was  supposed  to  contain  that  organ, 
and  I  thus  learned  that  there  were  ways  of  dealing 
with  it  other  than  those  taught  in  our  European 
schools. 

After  the  mucano  had  thus  been  decided,  I  spoke  to 
him  about  my  journey,  which  could  not,  he  thought, 
be  carried  into  effect  with  the  restricted  resources  at  my 
disposal. 

I  got  him  to  part  with  a  few  beads,  but  when  I 
broached  the  subject  of  carriers,  he  evaded  giving  a 
direct  answer  by  saying  that  he  knew  that  Capello  and 
Ivens  were  near  the  Cuanza  struggling  against  an 
insufficiency  of  men  ;  but  that  if  they  chose  to  pay  him 
handsomely  there  would  be  no  difficulty  in  arranging 
matters  to  their  satisfaction.  This,  of  course,  was  tanta- 
mount to  saying  that  if  I  paid  him  well,  he  would  let  me 
have  them  too. 

I  retired — for  the  first  time  pitying  Cameron  at 
having  been  compelled  to  remain  so  long  in  such 
undesirable  company. 

I  found  vegetation  in  this  part  of  the  Bihe  very  much 
advanced,  and  observed  in  the  vicinity  of  the  river  Cuito 
the  same  termitic  disposition  of  the  ground  which  I  de- 
scribed on  the  banks  of  the  Cutato  dos  Ganguellas. 

As  with  the  carriers  who  reached  me  on  the  29th, 


204 


THE  KINO'S  RIFLE. 


sent  by  Verissimo's  brother,  Joaquim  G-uilherme,  I  had 
sufficient  people  to  proceed  upon  my  journey,  I  gave 
orders  to  start  on  the  following  morning. 

The  powers,  however,  who  preside  over  mundane 
affairs  had  decreed  otherwise. 

In  the  afternoon  of  that  day  some  one  or  other  spread 
among  my  men  the  same  reports  as  were  so  fatal  at 
Belmonte,  and  the  consequence  was  that  many  of  them 
came  to  me  and  declared  their  intention  of  returning 
home. 

I  used  all  my  eloquence  to  induce  them  to  follow  me, 
but  few  were  inclined  to  listen. 

This  was  the  second  time  in  the  Bihe  that  I 
was  left  without  people  when  on  the  very  eve  of  my 
departure. 

A  few  Bihenos  still  remained,  and  I  decided  upon 
getting  rid  of  everything  in  the  way  of  mere  comfort 
and  abandoning  all  the  provisions  I  had  with  me,  so 
that  with  a  few  more  men  I  might  be  able  to  go  on. 

The  difficulty  was  to  get  those  few  more,  though  I 
did  not  despair  of  the  undertaking.  A  strange  ad- 
venture which  occurred  on  the  30th  helped  to  crown 
my  hopes  with  success. 

A  lot  of  loose  characters  and  deserters,  who  had 
escaped  from  the  military  stations  on  the  coast,  sud- 
denly appeared  in  the  Bihe. 

One  of  these  worthy,  or  unworthy  citizens  called 
upon  me  and  pronounced  a  set  speech,  which,  on 
account  of  the  profuse  employment  of  the  first  consonant 
in  lieu  of  the  seventeenth,  and  repeated  use  of  terms 
only  used  in  my  own  province,  betrayed  him  as  a  fellow- 
countryman. 

Even  if  the  style  of  the  discourse  had  not  been  that  of 
a  consummate  rogue,  its  essence  would  have  sufficiently 
stamped  the  orator  as  a  villain,  with  a  soul  no  better 
than  a  sink  of  rottenness  which  exhaled,  with  every 


BELMONTE. 


205 


phrase,  more  deadly  poison  than  any  fetid  marsh  of  that 
tropical  clime. 

After  counselling  me  to  use  the  arms  and  ammuni- 
tion at  my  disposal  in  a  most  villainous  undertaking,  to 
which  he  did  me  the  honour  of  offering  himself  as  an 
associate,  he  terminated  by  saying  that  if  I  refused  his 
terms,  he  would  at  any  cost  employ  the  influence 
which  he  possessed  over  the  natives  to  compel  them  to 
abandon  me  and  thus  render  it  impossible  for  me  to 
take  another  step  in  advance. 

At  the  close  of  this  peroration,  which  my  man  con- 
sidered would  be  a  triumphant  argument  to  secure  my 
decision,  he  demanded  an  immediate  reply. 

I  did  not  keep  him  long  waiting.  Calling  my  Quim- 
bares  I  ordered  them  to  seize  and  tie  him  up  to  the 
first  tree,  and  then  caused  to  be  administered  to  the 
rascal  some  fifty  lashes,  that  we  might  become  better 
acquainted  with  each  other,  for  though  I  knew  him 
thoroughly  before  he  had  spoken  a  dozen  words,  he  had 
not  had  the  same  opportunity  till  then  of  knowing  me. 

After  his  flagellation,  I  made  him  a  little  speech  in 
return  for  his  harangue,  wherein  I  told  him  he  must 
consider  himself  my  prisoner  during  the  time  we  stayed 
in  the  Bihe,  and  that  his  daily  ration  of  food  should  be 
accompanied  by  an  equal  dose  of  the  lash  if  he  attempted 
to  escape. 

I  then  called  all  my  people  about  me,  and  pointed 
out  to  them  that  the  heart  of  that  white  man  was 
blacker  than  the  skin  of  any  bystander. 

The  news  of  this  act  of  justice  spread  like  wildfire  in 
the  villages  all  about,  and  raised  me  immensely  in  the 
estimation  of  the  negroes,  on  whose  fears  the  fellow 
had  already  begun  to  trade. 

On  the  following  morning,  Sunday,  Pombeiros  of  the 
vicinity  came  to  offer  me  carriers,  whom  they  promised 
to  produce  within  three  days. 


206 


THE  KINO'S  RIFLE. 


These  promises  were  again  and  again  made,  but  no 
carriers  were  forthcoming,  so  that  by  the  5th  of  June, 
being  reduced  almost  to  despair,  I  determined  upon 
abandoning  a  lot  of  baggage  and  going  on  with  the 
remainder. 

With  this  view  I  called  my  Pombeiros  together  and 
communicated  to  them  my  decision. 

We  held  a  long  council  in  which  I  maintained  my 
determination,  and  gave  orders  for  the  carriers  to  ac- 
company me  to  the  river  Cuito  with  the  baggage  I  had 
decided  to  part  with,  in  order  to  cast  it  into  the  stream. 

This  resolution  was  in  fact  about  to  be  carried  into 
execution  when  Dr.  Chacaiombe  put  in  his  word  and 
begged  me  to  defer  the  fulfilment  of  my  project  for 
a  few  days ;  he  further  advised  me  to  hire  a  certain 
number  of  men  in  the  neighbouring  hamlets  to  transport 
the  whole  of  the  goods  to  the  Cuanza,  and  that  mean- 
while he  would  make  an  effort  to  get  what  was  needed 
through  a  Sova?  a  friend  of  his,  and  would  meet  me  on 
the  banks  of  that  river. 

This  advice  having  been  duly  discussed  and  adopted, 
I  decided  upon  starting  on  the  6th  and  remaining  till 
the  14th  by  the  Cuanza ;  this  would  allow  Chacaiombe 
eight  clear  days,  beyond  which,  as  I  assured  him,  I 
could  not  possibly  wait. 

My  Pombeiros  displayed  the  utmost  devotion,  and 
upon  a  proposal  of  Miguel's  (the  elephant-hunter)  they 
all  resolved  to  shoulder  loads  themselves,  although  this 
was  not  only  contrary  to  usage,  but  inconvenient  upon 
the  march,  where  they  have  their  own  special  duf  'es  to 
attend  to. 

Having  obtained  a  number  of  men  on  hire,  I  made  all 
preparations  for  immediate  departure.  At  the  close 
of  that  day  my  poor  patient,  the  Novo  Pedondo  man 
whom  I  had  succoured  in  Cabir,  sunk  under  his 
disease. 


BELMONTE. 


207 


At  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  the  6th  of  June  I 
broke  up  ray  camp,  having  a  lot  of  natives  for  temporary 
carriers,  hired  at  the  rate  of  a  yard  of  cloth  per  day. 

I  travelled  eastward,  and  two  hours  later  camped  near 
the  village  of  Cassamba. 

This  place  is  nestled  in  the  midst  of  an  extensive  and 
dense  forest  which  seemed  a  likely  place  for  game,  but 
where  I  only  succeeded  in  bringing  down  a  few  guinea- 
fowl. 

On  starting  the  next  morning,  the  7th,  I  was  met  by 
the  chief  of  the  Cassamba,  who  came  to  pay  me  his 
compliments  and  offer  me  an  ox  as  a  present. 

I  excused  myself  for  not  making  a  suitable  acknow- 
ledgment of  his  civility  then  and  there,  on  the  ground 
of  my  carriers  being  on  the  march,  but  begged  him  to 
send  some  of  his  followers  to  my  new  encampment  to 
receive  it  at  my  hands. 

After  three  hours'  tramp,  having  during  the  two  last 
traversed  extensive  marshy  plains,  I  arrived  at  the  left 
bank  of  the  river  Cuqueima  which  there  ran  northwards, 
being  eighty-seven  yards  wide  and  ten  feet  deep,  with  a 
current  running  at  the  rate  of  thirteen  yards  a  minute. 
I  fitted  up  my  mackintosh  boat  and  succeeded,  though 
with  vast  trouble  and  delay,  in  effecting  a  safe  passage 
to  the  other  side  with  all  the  goods  and  men ;  it  was  a 
great  achievement  of  its  kind,  for  the  little  skiff  would 
only  carry  five  persons,  although  the  floating  power  of 
its  air-chest  was  considerably  superior. 

The  passage  being  effected  and  finding  myself  on  the 
right  bank  on  marshy  soil,  I  sent  to  beg  the  Sova  of  the 
Gando  to  allow  me  the  use  of  some  huts  for  the  shelter 
of  my  people  during  the  night. 

He  came  out  himself  to  see  me  and  to  place  at  my 
disposal  the  lombe  of  his  village,  which  I  accepted  and 
where  I  at  once  took  up  my  lodging. 

Shortly  after,  several  negroes  made  their  appearance 


208 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


sent  by  the  chief  of  Cassamba  to  receive  the  present  I 
had  promised  him,  bringing  with  them  as  a  token  the 
assegai  of  their  ruler,  which  I  had  seen  in  his  hand  that 
morning. 

It  is  a  custom  among  these  people  where  written 
language  is  unknown  to  send  some  known  object  by  the 
bearer  of  a  message,  to  prevent  the  possibility  of  doubt 
in  respect  of  the  sender. 

I  of  course  returned  by  them  the  promised  gift. 

I  had  a  long  talk  with  the  Sova  lumbi  of  the  Gando, 
who  was  lost  in  wonderment  at  everything  I  had  about 
me.  He  gave  me  a  splendid  ox  and  was  made  happy  in 


Fig.  28. — Ganguella,  Luimba  and  Loena  Women — Method  of 

SHAPING  THE  INCISORS. 

return  with  a  piece  of  striped  cloth  and  a  few  charges 
of  gunpowder. 

Early  the  following  morning  we  were  again  afoot,  and 
two  hours  afterwards  camped  about  a  mile  to  the  west 
of  the  village  of  Muzinda. 

Before  leaving  I  ordered  my  white  prisoner  to  be 
unbound  and  landed  on  the  opposite  bank  of  the  river, 
for  having  crossed  the  Cuqueima  and  consequently 
being  out  of  the  Bihe  territory,  it  was  impossible  that 
he  could  do  me  any  harm. 

Several  women  from  the  village  of  Muzinda  came  to 


BKLMONTE. 


209 


my  encampment ;  some  among  them  had  their  faces 
painted  green,  there  being  two  transverse  stripes  across 
the  head  from  ear  to  ear  and  two  others  descending 
from  them,  crossing  each  other  between  the  eyes, 
passing  along  each  side  the  nose  and  being  connected 
by  another,  traced  above  the  upper  lip. 

The  head-dresses  of  these  Ganguella  women  are 
wonderful  to  behold,  many  at  a  certain  distance  looking 
like  the  bonnet  of  a  European  lady. 

The  whole  of  the  men  I  saw  had  the  two  front 
incisors  of  the  upper  jaw  cut  into  a  triangular  shape, 
thus  forming  a  triangular  aperture  with  the  vertex 
turned  towards  the  gum.  This  operation  is  performed 
with  a  knife,  which  is  struck  by  repeated,  slight  blows. 

One  of  the  natives  gave  me  a  sugar-cane  six  and  a 
half  feet  long  by  half  an  inch  in  diameter,  and  assured 
me  that  the  plant  was  abundant  in  the  neighbourhood. 

During  our  stay  a  small  caravan  left  Muzinda  bound 
for  the  regions  beyond  the  Cuanza  to  procure  wax  in 
exchange  for  dried  fish  of  the  Cuqueima. 

The  natives  composing  the  party  were  almost  naked, 
their  only  covering  being  two  scanty  skins  hanging  from 
a  narrow  leathern  belt. 

The  women  were  even  more  scantily  supplied  with 
clothing ! 

I  had  a  visit  from  the  petty  chief  of  Muzinda,  who 
brought  me  an  ox  as  a  present,  which  I  returned  in  the 
same  way  as  I  had  done  with  the  Sova  Iumbi  of  the 
Gando. 

On  the  9th  of  June,  I  camped  on  the  left  bank  of  the 
river  Cuanza,  E.  N.  E.  of  the  village  of  Liuica.  At 
that  point  the  Cuanza  is  a  less  considerable  stream  than 
the  Cuqueima,  as  its  width  is  55  yards  by  6  feet  deep, 
with  a  current  of  16  yards  per  minute. 

Its  bed  is  comoosed  of  fine  white  sand,  and  the  trans- 
parency  of  its  waters  is  noteworthy. 

vol.  i.  p 


210 


TEE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


The  river  winds  its  serpentine  course  through  a  vast 
plain  from  a  mile  and  a  half  to  two  miles  broad,  enclosed 
on  either  side  by  gentle  green  slopes  clothed  with  trees. 

The  plain  itself  appeared  covered  with  excessively 
tall  grass  and  reeds,  so  thick  and  stiff  that  it  was  difficult 
to  make  a  passage  through.  The  soil  was  more  or  less 
marshy. 

As  I  had  to  wait  there  some  five  days,  as  agreed 
with  Dr.  Chacaiombe,  I  at  once,  on  my  arrival,  or- 
dered a  far  larger  encampment  to  be  constructed  than 
I  usually  built  for  merely  one  night's  shelter. 

The  Sova  of  Quipembe  was  the  first  to  pay  me  a 
visit.  All  the  petty  chiefs  between  the  Cuqueima  and 
Cuanza  are  subject  to  him,  and  he  is  himself  a  tributary 
to  the  Sova  of  the  Bihe.  His  subjection  is,  however, 
merely  nominal,  as  he  entertains  no  fear  of  being 
attacked  on  account  of  the  facility  of  defending  the  line 
of  the  Cuqueima,  and  because  the  greater  portion  if  not 
all  the  boats  upon  the  stream  are  owned  by  the  Gan- 
guellas. 

He  brought  me  a  sheep  as  a  gift,  excusing  himself 
for  not  presenting  me  with  an  ox,  on  the  ground  of  his 
village  being  at  so  great  a  distance. 

I  had  also  a  visit  from  the  petty  chief  of  Liuica,  who 
offered  me  an  ox. 

This  chief,  a  man  of  comely  face  and  figure,  became 
quite  an  habitue  of  the  camp  during  my  stay  in  the 
neighbourhood. 

One  day,  when  he  had  been  watching  me  fire  at  a 
mark  and  admiring  the  precision  of  the  aim,  his  great 
herd  of  oxen  happened  to  pass  that  way. 

I  proposed  to  him,  laughingly,  that  he  should  give 
me  an  ox  if  my  young  black  attendant,  Pepeca,  could 
kill  it  with  a  bullet. 

He  looked  at  the  lad  and  gave  his  consent. 

Pepeca,  who  was  a  very  tolerable  shot,  having  been 


BELMONTE. 


211 


taught  by  myself,  took  his  rifle  and  aiming  at  a  fine 
beast  that  was  somewhat  separated  from  the  herd, 
brought  it  down  with  tlis  blow.  The  G-anguellas  were 
perfectly  thunderstruck  ;  the  chief  however  was  as  good 
as  his  word,  though  he  had  evidently  expected  a 
different  termination  to  the  affair.  He  merely  re- 
quested me  to  let  him  have  the  skin  and  a  mouthful 
of  the  meat,  and  gave  me  up  the  animal. 

The  G-anguellas  between  the  Cuqueima  and  Cuanza 
are  of  a  different  race  to  the  other  tribes  bearing  the 
same  name ;  near  the  Cuqueima  they  are  called 
Luimbas,  and  near  the  Cuanza,  Loenas. 

On  the  12th  of  this  month  there  occurred  an  ex- 
traordinary adventure,  which  I  cannot  refrain  from 
recording  here. 

I  was  leaving  the  camp  for  a  stroll  when  some  of  my 
negroes  came  up  to  me,  accompanied  by  a  mulatto, 
who  was  a  perfect  stranger;  they  introduced  him  as 
the  chief  of  a  caravan,  who  begged  my  permission  to 
accompany  me  some  distance  on  the  road  I  was  travel- 
ling, and  allow  him  meanwhile  to  take  up  his  quarters 
in  my  encampment,  to  secure  his  safety. 

I  consented  to  his  request,  although  I  own  it  was 
rather  against  the  errain. 

That  same  night  I  remained  up  later  than  usual 
talking  with  my  Pombeiros,  and  seated  at  the  door 
of  my  hut  we  discussed  the  probabilities  of  Dr. 
Chacaiombe's  success  in  his  undertaking,  when  I  heard 
a  singular  noise  in  one  corner  of  the  camp. 

It  was  as  like  as  possible  to  the  sound  of  a  hammer 
on  an  anvil ;  and  my  curiosity  being  awakened  I  de- 
spatched my  henchman  Augusto  to  discover  the  cause. 

He  returned  after  a  few  minutes  with  news  that  in 
the  part  of  the  encampment  occupied  by  the  Biheno 
mulatto  who  had  asked  me  for  shelter,  there  was  a 
gang  of  slaves,  arrived  that  very  evening  from  the  Bihe. 

p  2 


212 


TEE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


All  my  people  were  then  asleep  in  their  huts  with 
the  exception  of  the  three  or  four  Pombeiros  who  were 
keeping  me  company. 

I  restrained  ray  anger,  which  for  a  moment  had 
almost  got  the  better  of  me,  and  summoned  my  unin- 
vited guest  to  my  presence. 

He  appeared  at  once  and  seated  himself  near  the  fire- 
place in  front  of  me. 

I  asked  him  what  was  the  meaning  of  that  clanking 
sound  of  iron,  to  which  he  replied  with  the  utmost 
effrontery  that  they  were  chaining  up  some  kids  which 
he  was  conveying  into  the  interior  for  sale. 

And  so,  in  my  own  encampment,  upon  which  floated 
the  Portuguese  flag,  there  was  actually  a  gang  of 
slaves ! 

Keeping  myself  as  cool  as  my  nature  would  permit,  I 
let  the  fellow  know  that  he  was  telling  me  a  lie,  and 
bade  him  forthwith  to  knock  off  the  chains  of  the 
unfortunates  he  had  with  him,  and  deliver  them  over 
to  me,  free. 

This  he  not  only  refused  to  do,  but  received  my 
command  with  a  grin  of  contempt. 

I  then  lost  all  patience,  and  my  rage,  which  had  been 
kept  down  with  immense  difficulty  from  the  moment  I 
learned  the  character  of  my  guest,  now  boiled  over. 

I  made  a  dash  at  the  fellow,  seized  him  by  the  throat 
and  drew  my  knife  with  the  intention  of  plunging  it 
into  his  body,  when  I  became  sensible  that  the  muzzles 
of  two  or  three  guns  were  within  a  foot  of  his  head, 
and  were  on  the  point  of  being  fired  by  my  attendants. 
This  brought  me  to  my  senses,  and  whereas  the  moment 
before  I  would  have  killed  the  wretch  without  hesitation, 
I  now  used  my  efforts  to  save  his  life. 

The  hubbub  occasioned  by  this  affair  woke  up  all 
my  men,  who  came  rushing  to  the  spot,  and  a  cry  arose 
to  exterminate  the  whole  Biheno  caravan. 


BELMONTE. 


213 


Knowing  the  ferocity  of  the  negroes  when  they  feel 
they  have  strength  on  their  side,  I  began  to  he  alarmed 
for  the  lives  of  the  innocent  who  might  he  sacrificed 
with  the  guilty. 

Of  course,  with  the  exception  of  the  Pomheiros  who 
had  heen  with  me  since  the  commencement,  of  the 
scene,  all  were  ignorant  of  the  cause  of  the  uproar. 
They  saw  that  I  was  in  a  tremendous  rage,  and  they 
became  clamorous  for  a  victim. 

I  succeeded  at  last  in  quelling  the  tumult  and  in 
obtaining  a  hearing. 

I  then  ordered  Augusto  to  set  the  slaves  free  and 
bring  them  before  me,  together  with  all  the  cords  and 
shackles  they  could  discover  in  the  huts  where  the  poor 
creatures  were  confined. 

The  shackles  were  all  cast  into  the  Cuauza  with  the 
exception  of  those  which  I  reserved  to  bind  the  blacks 
who  had  acted  as  guards  over  the  poor  slaves. 

As  to  the  slaves  themselves,  I  told  them  they  might 
go  wheresoever  they  pleased,  and  that  I  would  take 
care  that  the  guards  should  remain  bound  long  enough 
to  prevent  the  possibility  of  their  overtaking  their  late 
prisoners.  They  disappeared  in  a  twinkling  with  the 
exception  of  one  young  girl  who  begged  to  be  allowed 
to  remain  with  me,  as  she  did  not  know  where  to  go. 
I  may  mention  that  it  was  not  till  I  broke  up  my 
encampment  that  I  set  at  liberty  the  leaders  and  guards 
of  that  gang  of  slaves. 

The  13th  of  June  came  and  passed  without  any  news 
of  my  Doctor,  and  in  the  evening  of  that  day  I  dis- 
tributed such  loads  as  I  was  able  to  do,  about  eighty- 
seven,  which  I  afterwards,  with  infinite  reluctance, 
reduced  by  twelve,  and  made  one  heap  of  those  which 

were  irremediably  condemned. 

*/ 

It  may  be  credited  that  the  choice  wTas  one  of  no 
little  difficulty,  and  I  fancy  that  one  of  the  hardest  nuts 


214 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


that  an  explorer  has  to  crack  is  to  choose  between  such 
goods  as  are  positively  indispensable  and  those  he  can 
part  with.  If  not  a  more  difficult,  it  is  at  least  as  stiff 
a  problem  as  to  discover  the  mode  of  determining  a 
good  longitude. 

I  made  up  my  mind  to  abandon  whatsoever  had  only 
convenience  or  comfort  to  recommend  it ;  to  reject 
everything  in  the  shape  of  comestibles  for  my  personal 
use,  together  with  part  of  those  I  carried  for  my  people, 
and  several  loads  of  beads  given  up  to  me  by  my  late 
companions,  and  which,  being  purchased  in  Loanda, 
were  of  problematical  value  in  the  interior  of  the 
country  where  I  proposed  to  penetrate. 

If  on  the  morning  of  the  14th  there  was  no  news  of 
Cbacaiombe,  the  condemned  loads  were  to  be  destroyed, 
some  by  fire  and  others  by  sinking  in  the  Cuanza. 

"And  why,"  my  readers  may  perhaps  inquire, 
"  should  they  be  so  destroyed  ?  " 

Because  the  chief  of  a  caravan  on  his  march  through 
the  interior  of  Africa,  where  he  has  to  employ  carriers, 
is  bound  to  destroy  and  render  useless  all  articles  he 
may  be  forced  to  abandon,  and  this  for  two  reasons — 
one  out  of  respect  for  his  own  people  ;  and  the  other,  for 
the  natives  of  the  districts  he  is  passing  through. 

If  he  once  consented  that  his  own  carriers  should 
appropriate  as  their  property  any  portion  of  abandoned 
goods,  there  would  be  a  daily  falling  out  of  the  ranks  of 
porters,  on  the  plea  of  illness,  as  an  excuse  for  making 
off  with  what  they  had  thus  acquired,  and  a  perfect 
system  of  robbery  and  faithlessness  would  be  inaugu- 
rated. 

On  the  other  hand,  if  the  natives  of  the  country  came 
to  learn  that  goods  were  left  behind  for  want  of  men 
to  carry  them,  they  would  not  fail  to  ply  the  porters 
of  any  future  caravans  with  unlimited  capata,  or  other 
intoxicating  drink,  so  as  to  incapacitate  the  men  and 


BELMONTE. 


215 


compel  the  chief  of  the  troop  to  abandon  his  property, 
which  they  would  not  dream  of  doing  if  they  reaped 
no  advantage  from  it,  through  the  system  of  destroying 
all  goods  which  cannot  be  carried  on, 

This  was  a  lesson  taught  me  by  Silva  Porto,  and 
one  that  I  constantly  put  in  practice. 

It  fell  out  therefore  that  when  the  14th  day  arrived, 
and  no  intelligence  came  to  hand  of  Dr.  Chacaiombe,  I 
destroyed  sixty-one  of  my  loads  ! 


216  THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


RAPED  RETROSPECTIVE  GLANCE. 


The  annexed  Map  shows  my  track  from  Benguella  to  the  Bihe. 

I  have  endeavoured  to  furnish  it  with  all  such  details  as  it  was  possible, 
in  a  journey  of  exploration,  to  collect  in  the  shape  of  geographical  and 
topographical  data. 

Many  of  the  places  marked  were  determined  astronomically,  and  the 
intermediate  ones  were  found  roughly  by  the  points  of  the  compass  and 
projection  of  the  distances  gone  over,  distances  that  were  obtained  by  the 
pedometers  and  the  time  employed  in  traversing  them. 

The  positions  ot  Benguella.  Dombe,  Quillengues,  Ngola  and  Caconda, 
which  I  have  given  on  the  map  were  fixed  by  Capello  and  Ivens,  and  as  I 
barely  obtained  the  results  of  the  calculations,  I  adopted  the  data  as  fur- 
nished me  by  Ivens  without  the  initial  observations.  From  Caconda  to 
the  river  Cuanza,  the  positions  astronomically  determined  by  myself 
appear  preceded  by  such  initial  observations. 


Eesult  of  the  Observations  of  Capello  and  Ivens  from  the  Coast  to  C&conda. 


NarcesofPUce, 

Latitude  S. 

Deflection  of 
the  Needle. 

Inclination  of 
the  Needle. 

Altitude 
in  leet. 

Benguella  . 
Dombe  Grande  . 
Quillengues  . 
Ngola 
Caconda  . 

O       1  II 

13  25  20 

13  7  45 

14  5  3 
14  39  1 
lfi    1  51 

O        1  II 

12  34  17 

12  55  12 
14    3  10 
14  1G  46 

13  44  0 

o  / 

23  30  W 
23  26 
23  3 

22  30 

o  / 

39  37 
3>  44 

40  40 

23 
321 
2,788 
4,506 
5,507 

Having  separated  from  my  companions  in  Caconda  I  went  on  with  the 
work  we  had  commenced  together,  but  was  unable  to  make  any  obser- 
vations of  inclinometer  and  magnetic  force,  because  the  only  instruments 
we  brought  out  with  us  for  this  purpose  remained  in  possession  of 
Capello. 

I  shall  begin  the  recital  of  my  labours  by  the  determination  of  the 
geographical  co-ordinates  from  Caconda  to  the  left  bank  of  the  Cuanza,  to 
which  point  the  narrative,  closed  by  the  foregoiug  Chapter,  extends. 

In  the  following  Table  I  have  endeavoured  to  condense  the  necessary 
data  with  a  view  to  verifying  the  results  I  set  down. 

The  whole  of  these  observations,  calculated  in  Africa,  were  recalculated 
in  London  by  Mr.  Selwyn  Sugden,  1st  Lieutenant  of  the  Boyal  Navy  of 
Great  Britain. 


RAPID  RETROSPECTIVE  GLANCE. 


217 


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218  THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


Transit  of  Mercury  across  the  Scn  ox  the  6th  of  May,  1878. 


Date. 

Place  of 
Observation. 

Latitude. 

Longi- 
tude. 

Time  by 
Cliron.  to 
Time  of 
Locality. 

Height 
of  Sun. 
Krrorofsp.vt 
-1'  25". 

Later 
time  of 
Green- 
wich. 

Time  of 
1st  inner 
Contact. 

Longi- 
tude. 

6  May, 
1878. 

Belmonte 

o  /  // 
12  22  40 

O        1  II 

16  43  24 

Mean  of  4 

H.   M.  s. 

10    6  50 

Mean  of  4 

o      /  /; 

74  36  55 

H.  M.  s. 

3  39  39 

In  the 
Chron. 

n.   m.  s. 

11  35  29 

o     /  / 

16  50  15 

It  is  worthy  of  note  that  the  first  longitude  I  determined  in  Belmonte 
by  the  chronometer  was  very  near  the  true  one  obtained  by  the  transit  of 
Mercury.  This  longitude  differed  likewise  but  very  little  from  that 
obtained  by  the  eclipse  of  the  1st  satellite  of  Jupiter  on  the  23rd  of  April. 

I  do  not  include  in  this  table  the  numerous  observations  made  to  check 
the  movements  of  the  chronometers,  which  I  propose  some  day  publishing 
sepnrately. 

The  great  difference  observable  between  the  readings  of  different 
chronometers  proves  that  it  must  have  arisen  from  the  chronometers 
themselves. 

As  will  be  remarked,  the  instrument  used  by  me  was  the  sextant  with 
the  artificial  horizon  of  mercury ;  I  had  no  other,  as  the  aba,  the  only 
universal  theodolite  brought  out  from  Europe,  remained  in  possession  of 
my  companions. 

My  sextants  came,  one  from  Casella  of  London,  reckoning  5,"  and  the 
other  from  Lorieux  of  Paris,  reckoning  30".  My  azimuth  compasses 
were  manufactured  in  Berlin,  and  had  belonged  to  the  unfortunate  Baron 
de  Barth. 

My  chronometers  were  made  by  Dent  of  London,  two  being  algebraic, 
and  another,  marine,  which  was  sent  me  to  the  Bihe  from  Benguella. 

The  last  was  an  inferior  one  :  but  the  other  two  were  excellent,  more 
especially  that  which  I  distinguish  in  the  calculations  by  the  letter  S. 

Many  of  the  altitudes  were  fixed  by  the  hypsometer,  and  others  by  the 
aneroid,  compared  with  the  hypsometer. 

The  altitudes  are  marked  upon  the  map  in  English  feet. 

The  Map  of  the  Bihe  country,  undoubtedly  very  rough  and  incomplete, 
was  drawn  up  by  the  compass  during  my  sporting  excursions;  but  even 
as  it  stands  it  possesses  sufficient  correctness  to  enable  an  opinion  to  be 
formed  of  the  territory. 

I  suspend  for  the  moment  any  further  mention  of  the  details  of  my 
maps,  in  order  to  give  a  rapid  sketch  of  the  country  they  represent. 

From  Benguella  to  the  Dombe,  as  will  be  seen,  I  followed  the  coast  over 
calcareous  ground  which  abounded  in  various  mineral  ores. 

The  tract  is  badly  supplied  with  water  during  the  dry  season,  and  the 
valley  of  the  Dombe  Grande  has  scarcely  sufficient  to  render  it  greatly 
productive.  Vegetation  there  without  being  actually  poor,  does  not 
possess  that  richness  which  is  peculiar  to  the  intertropical  countries. 
Between  Benguella  and  the  Dombe  the  only  drinking  water  obtainable 
is  from  a  small  marsh  in  the  Quipupa. 


RAPID  RETROSPECTIVE  GLANCE. 


219 


The  territory  is  abundant  in  game,  and  a  great  variety  of  antelopes  is 
observable,  the  most  common  being;  the  tttrepsiceros  Kudu,  tike  <  ep'<alobus 
w  erg  ens,  the  Cervict/ra  huhor,  and  the  Ore  is  canna.  The  rocks  of  car- 
bonate of  lime  which  form  the  orographic  system  of  the  Dombe  Grande 
abound  in  hyrax,  and  among  the  large  and  splendid  plantations  of  manioc 
which  cover  the  plain,  great  numbers  of  hystrix  find  a  dwelling :  they  are 
somewhat  lareer  than  the  European  ones  and  cause  great  devastation  to 
the  cultivated  grounds.  The  valley  of  the  Dombe  Grande  is  certainly  the 
best  portion  of  land  in  the  province  of  Angola.  On  the  score  of  salubrity 
there  is  not  much  to  complain  of,  and  the  soil  is  of  great  fertility.  A 
seaport,  the  Cuio,  is  only  a  few  miles  from  the  best  centre  of  production. 

The  mountains  \\hich  frame  the  valley  are  full  of  minerals  and  have 
in  many  places  been  worked,  but,  always  on  a  small  scale  owing  to  the 
want  of  capital.    Both  sulphur  and  copper  are  to  be  met  with  there. 

The  native  population  are  well-disposed  and  laborious,  at  least  in  so 
far  as  the  blacks  left  to  their  own  devices  are  ever  likely  to  be. 

Between  the  Dombe  and  Qnillengues  the  country  is  deserted.  By 
the  road  we  took,  water  was  wanting ;  but  vegetation,  which  was  poor  at 
the  outset,  assumed  a  most  luxurious  aspect  the  nearer  we  approached 
Quillengues. 

By  following  the  course  of  the  river  Coporolo,  there  is  no  deficiency  of 
water,  and  I  heard  it  stated  that  a  rich  vegetation  extends  all  the  way  ; 
and  yet  the  country  in  those  parts  is  uninhabited. 

On  leaving  the  Dombe  the  land  rises  suddenly  to  a  height  of  1804  feet, 
and  a  system  of  mountains  commences,  running  north  and  south  with  little 
valleys  in  between.  These  mountains  continue  gradually  rising,  till  near 
Quillengues  their  summits  attain  an  elevation  of  2950  feet.  It  is  in  the 
river  Canga  that  the  granitic  formation  begins,  and  with  it  a  more 
abundant  vegetation.  All  the  rivers  marked  upon  the  map  up  to 
Quillengues  are  little  better  than  mountain  torrents  in  the  rainy  season ; 
still,  in  many  of  them,  it  is  possible  to  find  water  in  the  summer  by  simply 
digging  holes  in  their  sandy  beds.  The  Coporolo  it.  elf  is  liable  to  this 
condition  of  poverty. 

Quillengues  is  an  extensive  and  fertile  valley,  very  similar  in  character 
to  the  Dombe,  but  naturally  of  infinitely  less  value,  owing  to  want  of 
communication  with  the  coast. 

Its  population  is  dense,  and  on  its  meadow  lands  thousands  of  heads 
of  cattle,  of  excellent  bri  ed,  find  abundant  pasturage. 

The  Quillengues  are  a  robust  and  warlike  people,  and  in  the  attacks 
they  make  upon  the  Mundombes,  they  always  come  out  victorious,  which 
does  not,  however,  prevent  them  being  vanquished  in  turn  by  the  people 
of  the  Nano  country,  who  make  descents  upon  their  territory  and  carry 
off  cattle  and  prisoners. 

The  Quillengues  as  well  as  the  Dombe  tribes  are  subject  to  the  King  of 
Portugal,  but  are  not  so  submissive  as  the  Mundombes. 

There  is  little  doubt  but  that  the  country  of  Quillengues  has  a 
prosperous  future  before  it,  attainable  so  soon  as  easy  communications  are 
opened  with  the  coast,  with  Huila  and  Caconda,  and  a  proper  administration 
governs  its  affairs. 

From  Quillengues  to  Ca:onda  the  proper  track  runs  through  Caluqueme 


220 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


a  thickly-peopled  territory  ;  but  I  selected  another  one  for  motives  which 
I  explain  in  my  narrative. 

On  quitting  Quill engues  in  a  S.  E.  direction  the  traveller  arrives  at 
the  lofty  mountain  chain  of  the  district,  where  the  ground  rises  rapidly 
to  a  height  of  5725  feet ;  the  part  where  I  crossed  it  bears  the  name  of 
Mount  Quicecua. 

There  commences  the  vast  and  lofty  table-land  of  South  Central  Africa, 
and  thence  to  the  Bihe  the  encmous  plain  maintains  the  same  altitude, 
with  the  slightest  possible  depressions  in  the  beds  of  the  rivers,  and  a 
trifling  system  here  and  there  of  isolated  mountains. 

From  this  table-land  run  permanent  streams,  the  first  I  fell  in  with 
being  an  affluent  of  the  Cunene. 

The  arboreous  vegetation  upon  this  high  ground  is  quite  as  strong  as 
at  Quillengues,  but  the  herbaceous  is  richer,  if  it  is  possible  to  be  so. 

The  ground  continues  granitic  and  a  greater  abundance  of  termites 
begin  to  appear.  The  only  villages  that  are  met  with  on  the  road  are 
Ngola  and  Catonga,  which  I  have  fully  described  elsewhere. 

In  Caconda  the  country  is  somewhat  more  undulated,  and  should  be  no 
less  rich  and  productive  than  that  around  Qnillengues. 

It  is  cut  through  by  permanent  rivp.rs  which  irrigate  it  in  every  direc- 
tion :  these  run  into  the  Catapi,  an  affluent  of  the  Cunene. 

Miasmatic  fever  is  endemieal  in  Caconda,  precisely  as  at  Quillengues 
and  on  the  coast,  but  it  exhibits  a  milder  character  in  the  former  district 
and  but  rarely  claims  any  victims. 

As  regards  climate,  Caconda  differs  essentially  from  the  coast  and  even 
from  Qnillengues. 

Though  situated  at  only  13°  44'  from  the  equator  the  climate,  which 
should  be  excessively  hot,  is  tempered  by  the  enormous  height  at  which 
the  territory  lies ;  but  it  is  on  that  account  subject  to  those  sudden 
changes  between  day  and  night  which  are  prevalent  throughout  the  table- 
land. There  is  a  constant  struggle  going  on  between  the  altitude  and 
latitude,  the  result  of  which  is,  that  the  dominion  of  the  latter  is  most 
sensibly  felt  during  the  day,  when  a  vertical  sun  darts  down  its  rays  of 
fire,  and  the  former  reigns  supreme  at  night,  at  an  elevation  of  1860  feet 
above  the  sea-level. 

I  remember  that  Anchieta  laughingly  observed  that  one  might  be 
perfectly  comfortable  in  Caconda  if  an  apparatus,  in  contact  with  a 
thermometer,  could  be  invented  to  put  additional  blankets  upon  one's 
bed,  while  asleep,  in  proportion  as  the  thermometer  descended. 

This  vast  disparity  of  temperature  between  the  day  and  night  becomes 
most  sensible  when  the  sun  has  a  northern  declination ;  as  when  the  orb 
is  going  towards  the  south  of  the  equator  it  is  much  diminished. 

I  was  informed  over  and  over  again  that  all  the  fruits  of  Europe  are 
produced  in  Caconda,  but  unfortunately  I  cannot  state  the  fact  of  my 
own  knowledge  as  I  did  not  fall  in  with  them ;  still  I  have  reason  to 
believe  that  they  might  be  acclimatised.  The  potatoes  are  very  good  and 
abundant,  not  only  in  Caconda,  but  throughout  the  table-land ;  their 
transport  to  Benguella  is,  however,  so  difficult  under  present  arrange- 
ments, that  all  the  potatoes  consumed  there  are  brought  from  Lisbon. 

European  potherbs  and  vegetables  are  plentiful  and  good. 


RAPID  RETROSPECTIVE  GLANCE. 


221 


Near  the  fortress  the  population  is  scanty,  but  at  a  certain  distance  it 
is  dense  enough,  and  is  there  governed  by  independent  chiefs. 

From  Caconda  to  the  Bihe  the  country  is  very  thickly  peopled,  and  if 
fewer  rattle  are  raised  than  on  the  other  side  of  Caconda,  agriculture  is 
somewhat  more  attended  to. 

In  the  countries  of  the  Nano,  Huambo,  Sambo,  and  Moma,  the  natives 
are  savage,  warlike,  and  independent. 

The  land,  as  will  be  noticeable  by  the  map,  is  intersected  by  various 
streams,  the  waters  being  drained  into  three  great  arteries,  the  Cunene, 
Cubango,  and  Cuanza. 

To  the  north  of  the  Sambo  territory  there  is  a  vast  tract  of  waste  ground, 
called  in  the  country  the  Enlvna  de  Ambamba  ;  this  is  for  the  most  part 
marshy,  and  is  the  source  of  five  important  streams,  two  of  which  run 
northwards,  and  three  towards  the  south. 

Of  those  which  flow  in  a  northerly  direction,  one  is  the  Quebe,  which 
debouches  into  the  sea  at  10°  50'  S.  latitude,  near  the  Tres  Pontas,  between 
Novo  Redondo  and  Benguella  Yelha. 

This  river  assumes  at  the  lower  part  of  its  course  the  name  of  Cuvo. 
The  other  is  the  Cutato  dos  Mongoias,  which  flows  northwards  and 
becomes  an  affluent  of  the  Cuanza. 

The  three  that  run  to  the  south  are  the  Cunene,  the  Cubango,  and  the 
Cutato  dos  Ganguellas,  which  unites  with  the  Cubango. 

The  most  important  system  of  mountains  which  I  met  with,  was  the 
chain  running  from  N  E.  to  S.  W.,  to  the  north  of  the  country  of  the 
Huambo,  from  whose  slopes  spring  the  Calaeand  the  Cucuce,  which  unite 
and  then  flow  into  the  Cunene. 

A  rough  observation  made  with  the  aneroid  proved  the  summit  to  be 
upwards  of  8200  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea. 

By  way  of  exception  to  my  rule  not  to  baptise  any  rivers  or  mountains 
in  Africa,  I  bes'o^ed  upon  this  chain  the  name  of  Andrade  Corvo,  it  being 
described  in  the  country  merely  as  the  Huambo  chain. 

I  could  not  discover  among  the  natives  any  traces  of  the  existence  of 
other  ore  than  that  of  iron,  by  which  I  do  not  desire  it  to  be  inferred  that 
there  is  no  other. 

The  soil  is  still  granitic,  and  all  that  can  further  be  said  of  it  is,  that  in 
many  places  it  is  of  animal  formation,  being  produced  by  the  labours  of 
termites. 

Besides  the  special  disposition  which  I  met  with,  and  remarked  upon, 
in  the  termitic  ground  on  the  banks  of  the  Cutato  dos  Ganguellas,  there 
are  four  distinct  termitic  formations,  which  I  presume  to  belong  to  four 
different  species. 

The  slopes  of  the  Andrade  Corvo  chain,  between  the  Calae  and  the 
Cucuce,  abound  With  game;  indeed,  with  the  exception  of  the  Zambesi,  I 
never  saw  a  greater  quantity  in  Africa. 

In  addition  to  the  antelopes  which  I  before  referred  to,  when  speaking 
of  the  Dombe,  there  are  abundance  of  the  Eij>potrugus  equiuus,  Catobl^pas 
tawina  and  Buhalus  Coffer. 

The  forests  are  in  great  part  formed  of  dicotyledonous  trees,  with 
innumerable  species  of  acacia.  Of  creeping  or  climbing  plants  there  are 
extremely  few. 


222 


THE  KING'S  BIFLE. 


Crossing  the  divisional  line  of  the  waters  between  the  Cubango  and  the 
Cuanza  we  enter  the  Bihe  country,  certainly  the  most  important  in  the 
south-west  part  of  Central  Africa. 

This  country,  whose  people  I  described  at  length  in  the  foregoing 
chapter,  is  intersected  by  two  important  rivers,  although  they  are  un- 
navigable,  viz.  the  Cuqueima  and  the  Cuito.  Innumerable  rivulets 
water  the  land  in  all  directions,  and  form  affluents  of  these  main  arteries. 

The  climate  is  similar  to  that  of  Caconda,  and  the  same  atmospheric 
conditions  are  observable  in  both  places. 

The  soil  is  granitic,  and  of  wonderfully  productive  power.  The  pas- 
turage is  excellent  for  sheep  and  cattle ;  the  country  is  poor  in  game ;  but 
by  way  of  compensation  there  are  few  or  no  wild  beasts. 

I  do  not  think  it  is  rich  in  mineralogical  products,  inasmuch  as,  not- 
withstanding the  density  of  its  population,  no  vestiges  of  any  rich  mineral 
ores  appear  among  the  people ;  which  would  scarcely  be  the  case  if  they 
existed,  as  I  have  ever  observed  in  Africa  that  the  first  to  discover  gold, 
copper,  lead  or  iron,  were  the  natives. 


8  4 
Fig.  20. — Ant-H ills,  found  between  the  Coast  and  the  Bihe.   1  and 

2  ARE  A  FEW  INCHFS  ABOVE  THE  GROUND.  3  AND  4  ARE  FROM  3  TO 
7  FEET  HIGH. 

What  is  really  rich  in  the  Bihe  is  the  soil,  and  I  know  of  no  African 
country  more  susceptible  of  prosperity  through  agriculture  and  trade 
than  that  territory. 

The  European  race  cou^d  reside  there  in  the  utmost  comfort,  and  the 
offspring  of  such  as  have  settled  in  the  country,  and  become  connected 
with  the  natives,  is  physically  admirable. 

During  my  stay  in  Belmonte,  I  made  a  careful  study  of  its  climatological 
conditions;  and  more  especially  during  the  first  month  when  that  per- 
tinacious rheumatism  coutracte  I  during  my  jmrney,  prevented  my  quitting 
the  bouse,  I  regularly  observed  the  barometer  and  thermometer  every  three 
hours  during  the  day. 

I  exhibit  below  a  Table  of  those  observations  over  a  space  of  thirty  days 
and  at  the  same  time  remark  that  the  equableness  of  temperature  notable' 
during  the  day  is  owing  to  the  season  of  the  year  in  which  the  observa- 
tions were  made,  a  season  which  corresponds  to  our  autumn. 


1 


RAPID  RETROSPECTIVE  GLANCE. 


223 


The  rains  fall  at  two  different  periods,  with  an  interval  of  fine  weather 
between  them,  occurring  in  December  and  January.  The  first  rains 
commence  about  the  middle  of  October,  and  continue  till  the  beginning  of 
December;  they  are  more  moderate  than  the  second,  which  fall  from  the 
end  of  January  to  the  commencement  of  March. 

The  prevalent  winds  are  from  the  east,  and  at  times  they  blow  very 
persistently  and  strongly  from  that  quarter;  this  however  is  in  the  dry 
season,  for  during  the  rains,  the  heaviest  storms  I  remarked  came  from 
W.S.W.  and  from  the  south.  The  rains  are  always,  and  more  especially 
in  February,  accompanied  by  electric  meteors,  which  fall  in  the  midst  of 
terrible  thunderstorms. 

The  Table  below  exhibits  my  observations  from  the  25th  of  March  to 
the  23rd  of  April,  1878. 


Year  187* 


Day. 


6  o'clock. 


629-  8 
632  0 

629  5 
t>30  •  0 

630-  2 
631*0 

631-  n 

630  5 

631  -0 
630  •  U 
63**0 
630-0 
630-0 

630-  0 
62J-0 

629-  5 

631-  2! 
630  -5 
629  0 
628-3 

629  01 
631-4 

630  6 

632  6 
631-6, 
U31-2 

630-  7 

631  o 
630-0 
630-3 


191 

20- lj 

19-  4 
19  4! 

20-  6 

18-3: 

1  9  •  2 
18  6 
17o 
18-8 
18-6 
18  8 
J7-2 
17-8 

17-  6 

18-  4 
181 
16  6 
16  4 

18  2 
18-6 
172 
161 

19  4 
18-0 
17-8 
16-5 
15  6 
146 
14-9 


630  ■  5 

631-  9 

632-  0 
631*6 
632  •  3 
632-0 
632-3 
632-0 
632*6 
682*5 
632-0. 
032  0 
032-3: 
632 -O; 
632-0 

631  -5 

632  8 
631  9 
629  9 
630*0 

631-  51 

632-  6 

632-  0 

633-  0 
632-0 
632-2 
631-9 

631-  l| 
632*0 

632 -  o; 


s  t 


20-  4 

21-  2; 
19  9 

19-  9; 

20-  8 
20-6! 
200 

1 9  ■  5 
18-7j 

20  0 
20-2 
20  0 
19  8 

19  7 
199 
20-4 

20  5 
20-2 
2o  1 
20  2 
2  i-4 
19  7 
19  0 


Noon. 


n  - 


6  o'cl«  ck. 


629-2 

22 

•4 

628-8 

23-2 

630-0 

21 

•6 

630  8 

21 

6 

629-8 

21 

■5 

629-5 

21 

C 

629-6 

21 

•o 

628  5 

21 

3 

630-0 

20 

•6 

629  5 

20 

4 

6J9-0 

22 

1 

629-0 

21 

6 

630-0 

21 

•6 

628-5 

22 

5 

629-2 

22 

1 

631-0 

21 

9 

630  0 

ti 

2 

629  •  9 

21 

3 

631  2 

20 

9 

629  •  2 

21 

3 

631-0 

20 

4 

630-6 

20 

4 

630-0 

19 

9 

630-0 

19 

8 

.30  0 

21 

1 

629-3 

20 

2 

630-0 

20-2 

630-5 

21 

630-0 

21 

2 

629-0 

20 

p 

b30  0 

21 

2 

629-5 

21 

6 

630-0 
629-8 

20.7 

(,30-3 

21 

630-0 

22 

0 

20 

1 

631-0 

20-4 

630-5 

21 

630-0 

20 

2 

631-5 

21 

0 

629-0 

22 

7 

630-0 

21 

5 

630  0 

21 

5 

629-5 

22 

8 

630  •  0 

21 

3 

631-0 

21 

8 

629-3 

22 

6 

629-8 

21 

1 

631-5 

21 

7 

629-4 

22 

4 

63' >0 

21 

5 

631-0 

21 

4 

629-5 

23  0 

629-8 

21 

7 

629-0 

21 

l| 

627-0 

22 

6 

629-0 

21 

8 

629  •  6 

21 

6 

629-4 

22 

3 

629-5 

21 

1 

630  6 

22 

0 

629  5 

23 

1 

630-0 

21 

7 

631-0 

21 

3 

630  -5 

22 

4 

630-5 

20 

7 

630  3 

21 

3 

659-0 

22 

8 

630  ■  0 

20 

2 

631-0 

22-0 

630-0 

22 

2 

6  :0-0 

20 

0 

6::0-0 

20-4 

629-7 

22 

7 

629-9 

19 

8 

630-6 

21 

0 

630-1 

23 

0 

630-5 

19 

7 

630*4 

21 

2 

630-0 

22 

- 

« 

630  0 

2n 

1 

630  3 

19 

8 

629  3 

20-6 

629-8 

19 

5 

630  0 

19 

2 

628-7 

20-  4 

629-0 

19 

4 

630-5, 

kO-O 

629  2 

21 

3 

630-0 

20 

0 

By  this  series  of  observations,  it  will  readily  be  seen  how  mild  is  the 
climate  of  the  Bihe  during  this  period  of  the  year. 

The  diurnal  advance  of  the  barometer  is  very  remarkable,  remaining 
unchangeable  in  presence  of  the  sudden  changes  in  the  atmosphere. 


224 


TEE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


A  meteorological  table  drawn  up  at  Oh.  43m.  of  Greenwich,  or  lh.  50m.  of 
the  Bine,  will  complete  the  atmospheric  study  of  this  country  during  th«. 
period  under  review. 


Meteorological  Table  made  at  Oh.  43m.  of  G<  eenvvich  or  lh.  50m.  of  the  Bine. 


t- 

Oj 

in 

0  « 

to 

Month. 

Day. 

a 

o 

i:  * 

a  * 

l| 

Direction  of  Wind. 

State  of  the  Atmosphere. 

:q 

H  a 

O 

"  S 

a 

March 

25 

628-7 

22-9 

20-2 

40 

S  S.W.  weak. 

(1  minder     during  the 
\    night ;  to-day  *ky  clear. 

)j 

26 

629-6 

22-1 

20  0;  2 

W.S.W.  weak 

lOloiniy  at  night;  fleecy 
\    clouds  by  day. 
Rain  during  the  night. 

>• 

27 

629  •  1 

21-0 

20-1 

31 

E.  strong 

>» 

2o 

coo .  o 

^1  0 

21-2 

0 

Calm  . 

Some  clouds  and  fleece. 

>» 

29 

629*0 

22  •  3 

21-6|  0 

»  • 

" 

/•OH  .  A 

21-0!  0 

v        •        >  • 

»»          n  ?> 

31 

629  •  5 

215 

20-8 

0 

E.  strong 

Cloudy. 

April 

1 

630  5 

20-2 

194 

17 

Calm  .     .  . 

JCloudy.      Thunder  at 
(    night  trom  the  N.W. 

*» 

2 

629  •  3 

198 

19-1 

0 

E.  strong 

Some  clouds  and  fleece. 

♦» 

3 

630 '  0 

20;  9 

19-  I 

0 

E.  moderate  . 

»          »»  j» 

» 

4 

630  •  3 

zl  0 

20-2 

0 

»> 

»»          >♦  »> 

5 

630  5 

21  *8 

20-6 

0 

'» 

»»          »»  »» 

» 

6 

630  •  0 

21  *  1 

19-2 

0 

»» 

V                  »  J» 

7 

629  •  3 

21  "8 

19-7 

0 

»« 

>>            »>  »> 

8 

628  •  1 

22  -5 

19-8 

0 

') 

»           >»  »♦ 

»! 

9 

629  6 

22-2 

20-6 

0 

Calm  . 

•'            5»  J» 

Sky  clear. 

»'  >» 

Some  fleecy  clouds. 

10 

6^9  •  0 

21*8 

19-9 

0 

»    •    •  • 

>5 

11 

629-8 

21-9 

19-8 

0 

»»    •    •  • 

>» 

12 

627-8 

21-8 

19-8 

0 

»» 

13 

629-5 

22-0 

20-1 

0 

Cloudy. 

»» 

14 

630-0 

22-5 

20-2 

0 

Some  rleecy  clouds. 

15 

630-5 

21-6 

19-6 

0 

E.  str.mg 

Sky  clear. 

»> 

16 

629-8 

21-6 

19-7 

0 

Calm  . 

Some  fleecy  clouds. 

17 

630-0 

22-0 

18-6 

0 

E.  t>t  ong 

>»  ?> 

»» 

18 

630-0 

22-2 

20-3 

0 

»»        »  >» 

»» 

19 

630-4 

22-5 

20- 1 

0 

E.  moderate 

?>        >»  >» 

20 

630-2 

22  •  0 

20-2 

0 

»>        »>  »> 
Sky  clear. 

>» 

21 

629-8 

19-9 

15-5 

0 

»5 

22 

629*6 

19-9 

161 

0 

5> 

23 

630-0 

20-5 

18-3 

°! 

E.  strong 

The  foregoing  figures  show  the  results  of  thirty  days'  observations,  and 
I  continued  the  same  system  during  the  entire  journey,  saving  only  where 
interrupted  by  illness  or  occasional  disturbances. 

The  land  from  Belmonte  eastward  slopes  a  little  down  to  the  Cuqueima 
at  that  part  where  the  river  runs  from  south  to  north.  On  the  right  bank 
of  the  Cuqueima  it  deviates  somewhat  in  its  descent  to  the  valley  of  the 
Cuanza. 

In  the  eastern  part  of  the  country,  the  arboreous  vegetation  reappears 
in  all  its  wealth  of  foliage,  and  there  are  small  but  dense  forests  visible 
here  and  there. 


RAPID  RETROSPECTIVE  GLANCE. 


225 


Throughout  the  vast  territory  comprised  between  the  Bihe  and  Ben- 
guella  the  tsee-tsee  or  titsee  fly,  that  scourge  of  so  many  parts  of  South 
Africa,  which  by  destroying  the  horse  and  ox  deprives  man  of  two  of  his 
best  auxiliaries  in  practical  life,  is  entirely  unknown. 

A  species  of  epidemic,  called  in  the  country  cahonhu,  attacks  both  cattle 
and  sheep,  but  without  committing  anything  like  the  ravage  arising 
from  similar  causes,  noticeable  in  Europe  and  other  parts  of  Africa. 

The  Horse  sickness,  which  kills  so  many  animals  in  the  Transvaal  and 
in  the  Calaari,  does  not  exist  in  this  territory.  Swine  seem  to  prosper 
quite  as  well  as  in  Europe,  and  the  people  are  able  to  preserve  the  meat 
without  difficulty,  which  they  cannot  do  near  the  sea. 

The  country  as  far  as  the  Cuanza,  and  even  beyond  that  river,  is 
entirely  without  salt  all  that  is  used  there  being  brought  from  the 
coast. 

There  are  no  mines  of  rock-salt,  and  the  waters,  including  those  of  the 
lakes,  are  all  drinkable. 

In  the  foregoing  brief  summary,  I  have  endeavoured  to  condense  the 
results  of  my  observations,  and  give  a  general  idea  of  the  country ;  I  will 
now  conclude  with  my  brief  opinion  concerning  it. 

Placed  in  a  geographical  position  very  different  to  that  of  the  Trans- 
vaal, the  tract  of  territory  comprised  between  the  coast  and  the  Bihe" 
approximates  thereto  in  the  way  of  climate,  and  possesses  a  more  fertile 
soil.  A  comparison  between  the  same  plant  growing  in  the  two  countries 
makes  this  very  evident. 

It  has  a  native  population  far  more  condensed  than  that  of  the  Trans- 
vaal, and  infinitely  more  agricultural.  It  is  not  less  abundant  in  good 
pasturage,  and  is  richer  in  woods  and  forests. 

The  Transvaal,  it  is  true,  possesses  great  mineral  wealth,  which  is 
wanting  here,  but  I  am  of  opinion,  notwithstanding,  that  a  more  pros- 
perous future  is  in  store  for  this  country  than  for  the  Transvaal,  inas- 
much as  the  latter  is  isolated  from  the  rest  of  Africa  by  arid  deserts  and 
the  tsee-tsee  fly,  while  the  former  is  in  easy  communication  with  the 
other  territories  of  the  interior,  whose  natural  wealth  is  perhaps  greater 
than  its  own. 


VOL.  I. 


Q 


226 


TEE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

AMOXG  THE  GANGU ELLAS. 

Passage  of  the  Cuanza— The  Quimbandes — The  Sova  Mavanda — The  Rivers 
Varea  and  Onda— Tree-ferns — Tribulations— Slaves — The  River  Cuito 
— The  Luchazes — Emigration  of  Quibocos — Cambuta — The  Cuando — 
Leopards  — The  Ambuellas — The  Sova  Moem-Cahenda — Descent  of  the 
River  Cubangui — The  Quichobos— Sudden  Changes— I  start  for  the 
Cuchibi. 

Ox  the  14th  of  June,  as  I  had  determined,  I  broke  up 
my  camp,  and  at  ten  o'clock  commenced  the  passage 
of  the  Cuanza,  which  took  a  couple  of  hours. 


Fig.  30. — Crossing  the  Cuanza. 


My  mackintosh  boat,  purchased  in  London,  did  me 


AMONG  THE  GANG  U ELLAS. 


227 


the  greatest  service  ;  and  I  had  also  four  canoes  which 
were  lent  me  by  the  Sova  of  Liuica. 

The  passage  was  effected  without  the  slightest  ac- 
cident, and  by  noon  I  was  able  to  continue  my  journey 
which  I  did  in  an  easterly  direction,  penetrating  into 
the  country  of  the  Quimbandes.  Having  passed  near 
the  villages  of  Mnzeu  and  Caiaio,  I  encamped  at  about 
two  hours'  journey  E.  S.  E.  of  the  village  near  the  source 
of  the  Mutanga  rivulet,  which  runs  N.  W.  into  the 
Cuanza.    I  noticed  that  the  villages  in  these  parts  were 


Fig.  31. — Quimbande  Man  and  Woman. 


not  nearly  so  strongly  fortified  as  those  on  the  other 
side  of  the  Cuanza.  The  Quimbandes  form  a  confede- 
ration, their  country  being  divided  into  small  states 
which  always  combine  for  the  common  protection.  The 
whole  of  the  numerous  villages  around  my  camp  were 
under  the  sway  of  the  Sova  Mavanda,  who  is  himself  a 
tributary  of  the  Sova  of  Cuio  or  Mucuzo,  situated  on 
the  banks  of  the  Cuanza  but  more  to  the  northward. 
The  sight  which  first  struck  my  attention  among 
the  Quimbandes  was  the  head-dresses  of  the  women,  the 
most  extraordinary  I  ever  beheld  in  my  life.  Some 

Q  2 


228 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


arrange  the  hair  in  such  a  way  that — after  it  is  em- 
bellished with  cowries — it  looks  for  all  the  world  like  an 
European  woman's  bonnet.  Others  friz  it  out,  and  twist 
and  turn  it,  till  it  wears  the  aspect  of  a  Roman  helmet. 

Cowries  seem  to  be  profusely  lavished  in  the  adorn- 
ment of  the  female  head,  and  white  or  red  coral  is  also 
visible,  but  not  to  the  extent  observable  among  the 
people  to  the  west  of  the  Cuanza. 

The  hair  in  these  stupendous  head-dresses  is  fixed 
with  a  most  nauseous  red  cosmetic,  formed  of  a  resinous 
substance  reduced  to  powder  and  castor-oil. 

Castor-oil  is  prepared  in  great  quantities  among  these 


Fig.  32. — Quimbakde  Girls. 


people.  After  extracting  the  seeds  of  the  Ricinm 
communis,  they  dry  them  and  then  reduce  them  to 
powder.  This  powder,  kept  for  several  hours  in  boiling 
water,  furnishes  the  oil,  which,  when  cold,  is  roughly 
separated  from  the  water  and  preserved  in  small  cala- 
bashes. 

The  oil  is  not  used  by  the  natives  as  a  purgative. 

I  speedily  remarked  that  the  feminine  type  among 
the  Quimbandes  approaches  somewhat  to  the  Caucasian, 
and  I  sawr  some  women  who  would  have  been  called 
pretty  if  they  had  not  been  black. 

Immediately  upon  my  arrival  I  sent  a  small  present 


AMONG  TEE  GANG  U ELL  AS. 


229 


to  the  Sova  Mavanda,  who  was  profuse  in  his  thanks, 
although  he  pressed  me  further  to  give  him  a  shirt. 

A  like  request  had  already  been  made  me  by  others, 
proving  a  tendency  in  the  direction  of  body-cover- 
ing. 

The  male  natives  cover  their  nakedness  with  two 
aprons  of  small  antelope  skins,  which  they  suspend 
before  and  behind  from  a  broad  belt  of  ox-hide.  The 
Sovas  alone  use  leopard  skins.  As  to  the  women,  they 
go  almost  naked,  and  a  fragment  of  cloth  does  duty  for 
the  traditional  fig-leaf  of  our  mother  Eve. 

Early  on  the  following  morning  some  of  the  chiefs 
porters  came  to  inform  me  that  the  men  I  was  expecting 
arrived  the  night  before  on  the  other  side  of  the 
Cuanza,  where  they  were  encamped. 

I  did  not  give  the  slightest  credence  to  the  news, 
knowing  so  well,  as  I  did,  the  habit  of  the  people  to 
tell  you  anything  they  think  may  be  agreeable  to  you 
in  order  to  extract  a  reward  for  the  intelligence.  Still 
I  told  the  messengers,  who  averred  they  had  seen  the 
men,  that  I  would  suitably  reward  them  if  they  would 
procure  me  some  token  from  Dr.  Chacaiombe  assuring 
me  he  was  on  the  track. 

That  same  morning  the  Sova  Mavanda  sent  certain 
envoys  to  inform  me  that  he  was  going  to  set  out 
immediately  to  attack  a  neighbouring  village,  where  one 
of  his  subjects  had  revolted  against  his  authority,  and  to 
beg  me,  at  the  same  time,  to  aid  him  in  his  campaign. 
I  of  course  refused  to  render  him  any  assistance,  but  I 
did  so  in  a  mode  that  prevented  him  feeling  angered 
at  my  neutrality. 

It  was  about  mid-day  when  Mavanda's  army  passed 
near  my  camp. 

In  front  was  carried  a  tricoloured  flag,  like  that  of 
France  but  with  the  colours  reversed,  fluttering  from 
a   lofty   staff'.    Then   came   two   men    carrying  an 


230 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


enormous  powder  chest,  by  means  of  a  rope  and  pole. 
By  the  way  they  shouldered  it,  it  was  evidently  empty. 
They  were  followed  by  the  Sova,  surrounded  by  his 
grandees  or  staff,  and  after  them  came  the  army  in 
single  file.  There  might  have  been  some  600  men 
armed  with  bows  and  arrows,  and  eight  carrying 
muskets.  A  few  steps  ahead  of  the  flag  were  a  couple 
of  blacks  beating  war  drums  and  making  the  most 
horrible  noise  of  which  they  were  capable. 

At  nightfall  the  army  returned  without  having  had 
an  engagement,  as  the  enemy  had  surrendered  at  dis- 
cretion. 

On  reaching  my  camp  they  did  me  the  honour  to 
treat  me  to  a  sham  fight. 

The  bowmen  spread  out  in  one  long  line  having  the 
flag  in  the  centre,  and  behind  it  the  powder  chest  and 
the  Sova. 

This  single  line,  for  each  man  was  isolated,  gradually 
began  to  surround  the  imaginary  village  they  were 
attacking,  and  contracted  as  it  grew  nearer. 

Then,  at  a  given  signal  by  their  chief,  the  soldiers 
rushed  upon  the  village,  running  and  bounding  in  the 
air,  and  uttering  at  the  same  time  the  most  frightful 
cries  to  intimidate  their  adversaries. 

When  I  thought  they  were  going  straight  to  their 
homes  to  attack  their  supper,  I  observed  them  return  to 
the  position  they  occupied  before  the  fight,  and  again  col- 
lected at  the  command  of  their  sovereign,  they  re-entered 
the  village  in  the  same  order  in  which  they  had 
left  it. 

Shortly  after  this  exhibition  was  over  the  messengers 
who  had  previously  called  upon  me  came  again  to  say 
they  had  seen  my  doctor,  but  that  he  would  not  give 
them  any  token  for  me.  This  convinced  me  that  my 
suspicions  were  right,  and  that  there  was  not  a  word  of 
truth  in  what  they  had  told  me. 


AMONG  THE  GANO  UELLA S. 


231 


My  encampment  began  io  cause  me  serious  alarm,  for 
being  covered  with  dry  grass  it  might  catch  fire  at  any 
moment  ,*  and  as  my  blacks  were  often  shivering  with 
cold  they  did  not  calculate  the  danger,  but  kept  up 
enormous  fires  in  the  huts. 

Between  the  river  Cuqueima  and  Mavanda  and  even 
beyond,  the  sugar-cane  and  cotton  plant  grow  vigo- 
rously. The  Quimbandes  cultivate  cotton,  which  they 
spin  into  threads  on  which  to  string  cowries  and  beads. 

On  the  following  day  the  natives  again  asserted 
that  the  carriers  were  on  the  banks  of  the  Cuanza  and 
could  not  pass  the  river  for  want  of  canoes. 

I  resolved  to  send  Augusto  thither  accompanied  by  a 
Quimbande  guide. 

At  eleven  o'clock  an  envoy  arrived  from  the  Sova  to 
announce  a  visit  from  the  latter. 

Shortly  after,  Mavanda  arrived  surrounded  by  his 
court ;  and  if  he  evinced  surprise  at  sight  of  me,  I  am 
sure  I  must  have  done  so  at  sight  of  him,  as  he  was 
certainly  the  biggest  man  I  had  ever  beheld  in  my 
life.  To  an  enormous  height  he  added  a  trunk  of 
truly  phenomenal  proportions,  and  was  otherwise  inor- 
dinately fat.  Bound  his  huge  waist  was  twisted  an  old 
cloth,  from  which  hung  three  leopard  skins. 

Several  amulets  were  dangling  from  a  collar  of  beads 
round  his  massive  throat. 

It  would  seem  as  if  Mavanda,  being  big  himself, 
delighted  in  things  upon  a  large  scale,  for  he  made  me 
a  present  of  the  largest  ox  I  ever  saw  in  Africa. 

After  the  customary  compliments  he  said  quite 
abruptly  that  he  had  come  to  ask  me  a  favour,  which 
was,  to  give  him  a  "  remedy  "  to  save  his  herds  of  cattle. 
These  animals,  being  sent  out  to  pasture,  strayed 
away,  and  not  all  of  them  returned  to  their  shelter  at 
night :  but,  wandering  in  the  woods,  were  devoured  by 
wild  beasts  or  otherwise  disappeared. 


232 


TEE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


I  furnished  him  at  once  with  a  remedy  in  the  shape 
of  a  piece  of  advice,  viz.  to  employ  herdsmen  who, 
instead  of  allowing  the  cattle  to  stray  wheresoever 
they  chose,  might  lead  them  to  their  pasture,  and  bring 
them  home  again  in  the  evening.  This  was  a  new  idea 
which  struck  him  as  not  a  bad  one,  and  he  said 
that,  although  it  was  contrary  to  the  customs  of 
the  country  to  watch  the  herds,  still  it  should  be  done, 
and  he  would  begin  at  once  so  as  to  save  his  beasts. 


Fig.  33. — The  Bihenos  constructing  Huts  in  the  Encampments. 


I  show7ed  him  a  barrel-organ,  exhibited  my  rifles, 
fired  them  off  before  him  and  observed  with  amusement 
the  surprise  and  wTonder  depicted  on  those  huge  but 
good-natured  features.  He  retired  in  the  evening,  and 
we  parted  mutually  pleased  with  each  other. 

He  wras  no  sooner  gone  than  envoys  arrived  from 
the  Sova  Capoco  with  a  letter  for  me.  It  furnished  me 
with  news  about  Chacaiombe,  told  me  he  had  sent 
carriers,  and  begged  me  to  allow  one  of  his  caravans, 


AMONG  THE  GANGUELLAS. 


233 


that  he  was  desirous  of  despatching  for  purposes  of 
trade  to  the  Zambesi,  to  travel  with  me. 

This  letter  decided  me  upon  remaining  in  my  present 
quarters  for  some  six  or  seven  days  to  wait  for  the 
carriers,  although  I  did  not  even  now  lay  very  much 
stress  upon  their  arrival,  and  it  was  in  this  sense  that 
I  answered  Capoco's  epistle. 

My  resolution  being  taken,  I  ordered  my  encamp- 
ment to  be  reconstructed,  and  the  huts  to  be  covered 
with  green  boughs  as  a  protection  against  fire. 


Fig.  34. — Skeleton  of  a  Hut. 

The  following  morning,  therefore,  there  was  great 
activity  in  and  about  the  camp,  which  by  noon  began 
to  assume  quite  a  pretty  aspect. 

It  was  composed  of  conical  huts  made  of  the  trunks 
of  trees,  each  hut  measuring  ten  feet  in  diameter  at  the 
base  by  eight  feet  high. 

My  own  hut,  built  by  the  Bihenos  with  more  care 
than  the  others,  measured  sixteen  feet  in  diameter  and 
was  twelve  feet  in  height. 

The  encampment  was  formed  by  a  circular  line  of 
huts,  connected  by  a  hedge  of  thorny  trees. 


234 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


My  dwelling  occupied  the  centre,  and  in  front  of  it- 
were  piled  the  goods.  My  immediate  attendants  ar- 
ranged their  huts  all  round  me  and  within  call. 

The  labour  of  constructing  the  camp  was  just  at  an 
end  when  I  was  informed  that  some  messengers  of  the 
Sova  of  the  Gando  wanted  to  see  me.  I  ordered  them 
to  be  shown  in,  when  I  immediately  recognised  in  one 
of  them  a  grandee  of  that  chief  whom  I  had  seen  by 
his  side  when  passing  through  the  country.  They 
brought  me  a  letter  and  a  parcel  which  some  petty 
chief  or  other  had  forwarded  to  the  Sova  for  me. 


Fig.  35. — Hut  built  in  an  hook. 


I  opened  the  letter  and  found  it  was  from  my  friend 
Galvao  da  Catumbella,  accompanied  by  a  little  present, 
which  he  had  addressed  to  the  Bihe  under  the  impres- 
sion that  I  was  still  there. 

The  cordial  feeling  which  I  had  managed  to  awaken 
among  the  people  I.  had  passed  through,  had  produced 
a  good  result,  and  the  letter  and  packet  thus  reached 
me  in  safety,  passing  from  hand  to  hand. 

I  opened  the  parcel  and  found  among  other  things  a 
box  of  Malaga  raisins,  a  very  welcome  gift,  as  they 


AMONG  TEE  GANG  UELLAS. 


235 


helped  to  relieve  a  little  the  monotony  of  my  already 
very  poor  provisions. 

The  letter  gave  me  some  European  news,  the  last  I 
obtained  until  arriving  at  Pretoria.  The  sight  of  the 
lines  awakened  in  me  the  thought,  accompanied  by  a 
great  sinking  of  the  heart,  of  how  long  and  weary  a 
period  must  yet  elapse  ere  I  could  receive  intelligence 
about  those  wrho  were  so  dear  to  me,  and  I  laid  my  head 
on  my  pillow  jthat  night  with  uncomfortable  presenti- 
ments in  respect  of  their  safety. 

At  daybreak  I  had  notice  given  me  that  a  small 
caravan,  commanded  by  a  black,  and  carrying  wax 
from  the  interior,  was  passing  on  its  way  to  the  Bihe'. 
I  sent  for  the  head-man  and  requested  him  to  convey  a 
letter  for  me  to  that  place,  there  to  deliver  it  to  some- 
one who  could  forward  it  to  Benguella.  He  agreed, 
but  asked  me  to  be  quick  as  he  intended  to  sleep  that 
night  beside  the  Cuqueima. 

My  time  was  short,  and  who  should  I  write  to?  I 
must  not  lose  the  chance  offered  me  by  this  unexpected 
messenger  of  assuring  my  loved  ones  that  I  was  still 
alive. 

I  seized  ray  pen  and  traced  a  few  hasty  lines  to 
Doctor  Bocage.  I  enclosed  therein  two  small  notes, 
one  to  my  wife,  the  other  to  Luciano  Cordeiro. 

The  leader  of  the  caravan,  who  had  already  become 
impatient  at  the  delay,  received  the  letter  and  de- 
parted. 

I  now  know7  that  the  packet  reached  Europe  in  safety 
and  wTas  received  by  the  person  to  whom  it  was 
addressed,  but  I  never  learned  how  it  was  forwarded 
from  the  Bihe  to  Benguella.  Doubtless  it  owed  its 
safety  to  the  protection  and  friendship  with  which  I 
was  honoured  by  Silva  Porto. 

The  Sova  Mavanda  passed  the  day  with  me,  and  we 
had  a  long  talk.    I  gave  him  various  little  articles,  and 


236 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


among  others  a  box  of  lucifer  matches,  with  which  he 
was  both  astonished  and  delighted. 

When  he  retired  he  said  to  his  macotas,  in  a  tone 
and  in  words  which  I  have  not  ceased  to  remember  : 

"  You  see  afar  off  a  bird  which  soars  aloft  and  then 
alights  upon  a  distant  tree,  and  you  say  it  is  a  dove, 
then  you  walk  on  until  you  are  quite  near,  and  are 
astonished  at  its  size,  for  it  is  an  eagle.  Thus  it  was 
with  the  Manjoro,"  (a  name  they  bestowed  on  me) 
"when  far  from  our  village,  we  said  he  was  a  dove  ; 
now  we  live  with  him  and  know  him,  we  find  he  is  an 
eagle  ! " 

During  my  rambles  in  the  neighbourhood,  pursuing 
the  antelopes,  which  were  scarce,  I  drew  up  the  map  of 
the  country,  or  rather,  was  able  to  complete  the  map 
of  the  territory  lying  between  the  Cuqueima  and  the 
Cuanza. 

The  Sova  Mavanda  sent  to  inform  me  that  the 
greatest  favour  I  could  do  him  was  to  give  him  a  pair 
of  trousers.  I  resolved  to  humour  him,  but  having 
nothing  that  could  fit  those  stupendous  limbs  within 
many  ells,  I  called  in  old  Antonio,  and  much  to  his 
astonishment  turned  him  into  a  tailor  and  sent  him  to 
measure  his  Majesty  for  the  wished-for  garment.  I 
then  cut  out  the  pantaloons  and  set  Antonio  to  work  to 
stitch  them.  I  cannot  say  they  were  a  wonderful  fit ; 
but  they  ought  to  have  been  big  enough,  as  they  took 
five  yards  of  wide  calico  !  The  man  was  a  veritable  hip- 
popotamus, though  I  must  say  a  very  good-tempered  one. 

On  the  morning  of  the  20th,  an  envoy  from  the  Sova 
came  to  inform  me  that  as  it  was  the  time  when  the 
people  kept  high  festival  (a  species  of  carnival),  his 
Majesty,  to  do  me  honour,  would  come  to  my  camp, 
masked,  and  dance  before  me. 

At  eight  o'clock  some  of  his  attendants  arrived  and  a 
great  concourse  of  people  soon  assembled. 


AMONG  TEE  GANG  U ELL  AS. 


237 


Half  an  hour  later  the  Sova  himself  appeared,  his 
head  thrust  into  a  huge  gourd  painted  white  and  black, 
and  his  enormous  body  made  still  larger  by  an  osier 
frame  covered  with  grass-cloth,  likewise  painted  black 
and  white. 


Map  No.  3. 


A  sort  of  coat,  made  of  horsehair  and  the  tails  of 
animals,  completed  his  grotesque  attire. 

Immediately  upon  his  arrival  the  men  formed  them- 
selves into  a  line  with  the  attendants  behind,  and  the 
women  and  girls  removed  to  a  distance.    The  attendants 


238 


THE  KING'S  BIFLE. 


and  men,  with  upright  and  motionless  bodies,  then  began 
a  monotonous  chant  which  they  accompanied  by  clap- 
ping their  hands. 

His  Majesty  took  up  his  station  about  thirty  paces  in 
front  of  the  line  and  began  an 
extraordinary  performance, 
wherein  he  acted  the  part  of  a 
wild  beast  torn  with  rage,  and 
jumped  and  capered  about  amidst 
the  utmost  applause  from  his  own 
people  and  mine.  This  lasted 
half  an  hour,  at  the  end  of  which 
time  he  ran  off  at  full  speed 
followed  by  his  men.  He  re- 
appeared shortly  after  and  re- 
turned to  my  camp,  in  his  ordin- 
ary attire,  and  passed  the  rest  of 
the  day  with  me.  Decidedly  I 
had  succeeded  in  winning  his 
good  graces. 

I  had  utilised  all  the  time  I 
could  spare  from  my  labours  by 
rearranging  the  baggage  so  as  to 
diminish,  if  possible,  the  number 
of  the  loads.  The  goods  I 
possessed  were  of  the  most  moderate  quantity  and  my 
entire  monetary  riches  consisted  of  a  sack  of  cowries 
and  of  the  beads  I  had  purchased  of  Jose  Alves,  but  the 
cost  of  maintaining  my  people  was  great,  and  I  saw, 
with  no  little  alarm,  the  diminution  of  my  little  store. 
Game  was  scarce  in  the  country  and  small,  and  with 
the  exception  of  a  few  gazelles  (Cervicapra  bohor),  it 
was  of  little  or  no  account. 

How  often  did  not  the  miserable  little  heap  of  goods 
and  beads  awaken  in  me  the  direst  anxiety  ! 

How  often  did  not  a  shudder  of  pain  and  alarm  run 


Fig.  37.  —  Quimbande  Wo 

MAN  CARRYING  HER  LOAD. 


AMONG  TEE  GANG  U EL  LAS. 


239 


through  me  as  the  gloom  hanging  over  my  future 
fate  lowered  upon  my  brain  ! 

How  often  were  not  the  affectionate  caresses  of  my 
pet-goat  Cora,  and  the  chattering  attentions  of  my 
tame  parrot,  who  flew  upon  my  shoulder  to  obtain  a 
kindly  word,  left  unheeded  ! 

And  yet,  just  as  often,  a  boundless  faith  in  the  work 
I  had  in  hand  would  fall  upon  my  aching  heart  like  a 
balm  and  banish  for  the  time  all  anxiety  from  my 
mind. 

Cold  reason  would  occasionally  step  in  and  treat  as 
baseless  the  rays  of  hope  which  were  so  warm  and 
flattering;  but  they  would  not  be  extinguished,  let 
reason  argue  as  it  would,  but  burned  the  brighter  for 
the  attempt  to  destroy  them. 

They  are  indescribable  moments,  these  struggles  of  the 
mind,  in  the  man  who  stands  thus  isolated ;  who  is 
himself  the  pro  and  contra  of  his  own  ideas,  who  has 
no  friend  by  him  with  whom  to  exchange  his  thoughts 
or  from  whom  to  obtain  a  word  of  sympathy  in  suffer- 
ing and  sorrow. 

In  my  youth  I  had  my  loves  and  hates,  and  with 
them  the  pains  and  heart-burnings  that  follow  in  their 
train — I  was  a  father  and  saw  a  daughter  I  adored  pass 
away  from  my  encircling  arms ;  but  never  in  the  past 
did  I  feel  such  an  utter  void,  so  deep  a  depression,  as 
often  fell  upon  me  during  this  African  journey  ! 

Alone  !  perfectly  alone  as  I  was  in  the  midst  of  an 
ignorant  and  brawling  multitude,  whose  language  and 
modes  of  thought  were  unknown  to  me,  I  would  sonie- 
jimes  brood  until  fever  and  sickness  fell  upon  me,  if 
it  were  not  the  approach  of  those  frightful  visitants 
which  caused  the  gloom  in  my  mind. 

I  do  not  reckon  as  suffering  the  hunger,  the  sickness, 
the  utter  discomfort  which  assail  the  explorer  in  regions 
like  these.    Man  is,  and  should  be  superior  to  their 


240 


TEE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


assaults.  The  real  suffering  is  doubt  and  uncertainty  ; 
the  not  knowing  how  he  is  to  cross  the  abyss  which 
reason  tells  him  is  haply  yawning  in  his  path.  The 
real  suffering  is  to  see  a  band  of  devoted  followers 
accompanying  him  blindly,  and  under  the  persuasion 
that  he  who  leads  will  conduct  them  in  safety,  walking 
with  him  perchance  to  utter  destruction.  The  real 
suffering  is  the  tremendous  responsibility  with  which 
his  mission  has  weighted  him.    If  I  were  not  unwill- 


o  | 

3 

Fig.  38. 

1.  Pipe.    2,  2.  Knives.    3,  3.  Tomahawks. 

ing  that  my  detractors  should  experience  a  little  of  the 
pangs  of  hunger  and  thirst,  of  annoyances  and  priva- 
tions I  had  to  undergo,  I  would  not  have  the  bitterest 
of  them  suffer  a  thousandth  part  of  the  moral  torture  I 
myself  endured — although  it  is  true  that  to  suffer  as 
I  did,  a  man  must  not  be  devoid  of  sensibility,  heart 
and  conscience. 

It  was  under  the  influence  of  the  feelings  I  have 
thus  attempted  to  describe  that  I  traced  those  lines  to 


AMONG  THE  GANGUELLAS. 


241 


Dr.  Bocage,  and  I  greatly  doubt  whether  he  considered 
my  letter  a  cheerful  one. 

Let  me,  however,  cast  aside  these  reflections,  which  I 
fear  may  not  prove  very  interesting  to  my  readers,  and 
resume  the  thread  of  my  narrative. 

The  Quimbandes  manufacture  various  articles  of  iron 
and  wood  in  a  much  more  workmanlike  manner  than 
the  inhabitants  west  of  the  Cuanza. 

The  cold  at  night  was  very  severe  and  the  difference 
between  the  maximums  and  minimums  very  great. 
Notwithstanding  the  letter  I  received  from  the  Sova 
Capoco,  I  did  not  give  much  heed  to  the  promise  about 
carriers  or  greatly  expect  the  return  of  my  doctor, 
Chacaiombe.  I  therefore  still  continued  reducing  the 
loads  as  much  as  possible,  which  could  only  be  done  by 
breaking  up  some  and  stuffing  their  contents  into  the 
others.  But  this,  of  course,  had  a  limit,  the  limit  of 
weight  the  men  could  carry. 

YVe  reached  the  22nd  of  June,  the  day  on  which  the 
time  I  had  decided  upon  waiting  for  Capoco's  carriers 
expired. 

My  anxiety  was  great  and  I  appreciated  to  the  full 
the  troubles  dwelt  upon  by  former  explorers  in  having 
to  abandon  things  which  were  absolutely  necessary, 
not  merely  for  their  comfort  but  almost  for  their  sub- 
sistence. 

This  question  of  choice  is  a  very  serious  one,  when 
every  single  thing  appears  indispensable. 

As  I  have  before  mentioned,  I  parted  long  ago  with 
everything  intended  for  my  mere  convenience,  and  the 
few  tins  of  meat  which  remained  I  gave  to  my  young 
negroes  as  the  readiest  way  of  getting  rid  of  them. 

My  carriers,  seeing  the  difficulty  I  was  in,  offered  to 
carry  the  very  maximum  weight  they  could  tramp 
under ;  but  even  this  unexpected  zeal  would  not  suffice 
to  convey  the  whole  of  my  store,  for  after  all  reductions 

VOL.  I.  R 


242 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


and  redistribution  of  loads,  there  were  four  of  the  latter 
without  porters. 

Two  of  them  contained  the  mackintosh  boat,  the 
third  a  barrel  of  aguardente,  and  the  last,  fifty  pounds 
of  gunpowder. 

I  resolved,  with  infinite  regret,  to  abandon  the  boat, 
and  then  to  ask  the  Sova  Mavanda  for  a  couple  of  men 
to  convey  the  powder  and  spirit  from  encampment 
to  encampment  until  two  of  my  porters  should  have 
got  rid  of  their  loads ;  which  would  not  be  long  first, 
considering  the  rate  at  which  the  stores  were  being 
consumed. 

The  Sova  took  charge  of  the  boat  and  gave  me  the 
two  men  I  asked  for,  and  all  preparations  were  made  to 
leave  next  day. 

In  accordance  with  this  arrangement  I  broke  up  my 
camp  on  the  23rd  at  eight  o'clock,  and  after  3^  hours' 
march  arrived  on  the  left  bank  of  the  river  Varea, 
which  I  crossed  on  a  tolerable  timber  bridge. 

The  petty  chief  of  Divindica,  a  hamlet  situated  on 
the  left  bank  of  the  Varea,  at  the  confluence  of  the 
Maconco  rivulet,  put  in  a  claim  for  toll  for  crossing  the 
bridge,  which  I  satisfied  by  the  payment  of  four  yards 
of  trade  cloth. 

The  river  Varea  there  runs  towards  the  north,  and 
flows  into  the  Cuime.  Its  width  is  27  yards,  and  depth 
6  feet  with  but  little  current,  as  there  are  no  cataracts 
near  Divindica.  I  marked  as  about  a  mile  to  the  south 
the  villages  of  Moariro  and  Moaringonga. 

I  then  travelled  eastward,  camping  at  2  p.m.  on  the 
left  bank  of  the  river  Onda,  opposite  the  large  village 
of  Cabango,  the  capital  of  the  East  Quimbandes  tribes. 

I  had  with  me  two  bottles  of  1815  port,  the  re- 
mainder of  a  present  made  me  by  my  friend  E.  Borges 
de  Castro,  and  just  as  we  reached  the  spot  where  we 
proposed  encamping,  the  young  nigger  Moero,  under 


AMONG  THE  GA NO  UELLA S. 


243 


whose  care  they  were,  stumbled  and  fell,  breaking  one 
of  the  bottles  in  the  act.  Imagine  my  dismay  at 
beholding  the  precious  nectar  colouring  the  ground, 
without  my  being  able  to  taste  a  single  drop  ! 

From  Mavanda  to  the  sources  of  the  Moconco,  whose 
course  I  followed  until  its  confluence  with  the  Yarea, 
the  trees  are  perfectly  splendid,  and  the  summits  of  the 
lofty  hills  which  border  the  rivulet  are  very  richly 
wooded.  Beyond  the  Yarea  the  wealth  of  vegetation 
is,  if  possible,  even  greater. 

From  the  time  of  leaving  the  Cuanza  I  heard  the 
river  Cuime  spoken  of  as  the  largest  stream  in  the 
Quimbandes  territory,  an  assertion  that  was  confirmed 
by  the  important  affluents  it  received,  and  which 
raised  in  me  a  great  desire  to  inspect  it  with  my  own 
eyes. 

From  the  Cuanza  eastward  the  country  presents  a 
very  different  aspect  to  that  which  was  observable  on 
the  other  side.  The  landscapes  are  more  picturesque 
and  do  not  exhibit  the  monotony  of  the  Bihe.  The 
rivers  and  rivulets  dig  deeper  beds  for  their  waters, 
and  the  irregularities  of  the  ground  are  more  sensible. 
The  banks  of  the  streams,  whether  large  or  small, 
appear,  beyond  the  limits  of  high-water  mark,  covered 
with  fine  trees,  while  shrubs  and  underwood  form 
almost  impassable  barriers  in  the  forests. 

In  the  east  part  of  the  Quimbandes  territory  the 
population  begins  to  thin.  The  Sova  of  Cabango  is 
also  a  tributary  to  him  of  the  Ouio  or  Mucuzo. 

The  customs  of  these  people  are  similar  to  those  of 
the  Bihenos,  saving  in  the  matter  of  activity,  which 
among  the  Quimbandes  is  changed  for  the  most  shame- 
ful sloth.  They  go  almost  naked,  do  no  work,  under- 
take no  journeys,  and  carry  on  no  trade. 

There  are  but  few  fire-arms  among  them,  as  they 
have  no  means  with  which  to  purchase  them.  They 

r  2 


244 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


gather  a  little  wax,  which  the  Bailundos  take  from  them 
in  exchange  for  cowries  and  beads,  but  the  barter  is 
effected  upon  the  smallest  possible  scale. 

The  ground  is  cultivated  by  the  women,  aud  its 
production  is  rich.  I  remarked  that  manioc  and  gin- 
cjerba  were  most  prevalent  in  the  plantations. 

This  country  ought  to  receive  particular  attention. 
Bordered  by  navigable  rivers  which  flow  into  a  large 
navigable  tract  of  the  Cuanza,  with  a  magnificent 
climate  and  most  fertile  soil,  where  cotton  and  the 
sugar-cane,  cereals  and  grass  for  pasturage,  flourish  in 
equal  abundance  and  perfection,  inhabited  by  a  people 
easily  subjected,  it  is  in  the  very  best  condition  for 
rapid  development. 

On  the  24th  of  June  I  crossed  the  river  Onda  and 
encamped  on  the  right  bank  three  miles  distant  from 
my  last  resting-place. 

The  river  Onda  at  Cabango  is  about  16  yards  wide 
by  16  feet  deep,  and  runs  from  the  east  to  the  N.W. 
to  flow  into  the  Yarea. 

After  determining  the  position  of  my  encampment,  I 
took  a  stroll  up  the  river  and  met  with  a  good  deal  of 
game.  I  found  that  above  Cabango  the  Onda  speedily 
narrows  to  11  yards,  but  has  a  depth  of  18  feet  with 
a  current  of  11  yards  per  minute;  a  current,  be  it 
remarked,  which  extends  to  the  very  bottom,  as  T  dis- 
covered, not  only  by  sounding,  but  by  the  inclination 
of  the  plants  growing  there ;  which  was  easily  visible 
on  account  of  the  crystalline  clearness  of  the  waters 
and  the  fine  white  sand  forming  the  river  bed. 

I  saw  but  one  kind  of  fish  in  this  river,  to  which 
the  natives  give  the  name  of  Ditassoa;  it  is  not  unplea- 
sant eating. 

While  walking  on  the  river  banks  I  perceived  at  a 
distance  a  group  of  trees  which  stood  out  in  fine  relief 
from  the  landscape  and  which  I  took  to  be  palms ;  on  a 


AMONG  THE  GANG  UELLAS. 


245 


nearer  approach,  however,  I  recognised  them  as  most 
beautiful  specimens  of  the  Fetus  arboreos  or  tree  fern. 

The  banks  of  the  Onda  are  cut  vertically  and  there 
is  the  same  depth  of  water  at  the  sides  as  there  is  in 
the  middle.  It  is  navigable  like  the  others  before 
mentioned,  and  therefore  presents  another  natural  road- 
way through  this  superb  country. 

On  returning  to  camp  an  agreeable  surprise  awaited 
me,  for  Dr.  Chacaiombe  was  the  first  person  who  met 
me  at  the  entrance. 

I  was  the  more  pleased  to  see  him,  as  his  disappear- 
ance was  one  of  the  black  clouds  which  helped  to  make 
parts  of  my  journey  so  gloomy. 


Fig.  39. — Ditassoa — Fish  of  the  Eiver  Onda. 


I  have  frequently  spoken  about  Dr.  Chacaiombe,  and 
never  explained  to  my  readers  who  he  was. 

He  was  the  diviner  who,  it  may  be  remembered, 
predicted  such  agreeable  things  in  respect  of  my  future 
fate,  when  I  was  temporarily  staying  in  the  house  of 
the  Captain  of  the  Quingue's  son. 

Uniting  in  his  own  proper  person  the  functions  of 
medicine-man  and  diviner,  he  had  come,  unsolicited,  to 
attach  himself  to  my  staff  when  in  the  Bihe,  and  had 
never  left  me  until  he  started  on  the  mission  to  obtain 
carriers  from  Capoco,  and  whence  I  thought  he  never 
intended  to  return. 

After  many  words  of  compliment,  Chacaiombe  in- 
formed me  that  carriers  would  arrive  within  a  couple 
of  days,  so  I  resolved  to  wait  for  them. 


246 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


My  man  Augusto  then  communicated  that  the  Sova 
of  Cabango  had  been  to  pay  me  a  visit,  and  had  gone 
away  much  annoyed  at  not  finding  me. 

I  at  once  despatched  my  pombeiro,  Chaquiconde,  to 
his  Majesty  with  a  request  for  a  couple  of  men  to  be 


Fig.  40. — Tree-Ferns  on  tiie  Banks  of  the  Onda. 


sent  to  Mavanda  to  fetch  the  boat  I  had  left  behind, 
much  to  my  own  sorrow  and  that  of  my  people,  who 
appreciated  the  services  it  had  rendered  us  in  crossing 
the  Cuqueima  and  the  Cuanza. 

This  done,  T  dried  myself  thoroughly  at  the  fire 


AMONG  TEE  GANGUELLAS. 


247 


(having  arrived  very  wet  from  the  river),  as  I  remem- 
bered with  a  shudder  my  frightful  attack  of  rheumatism 
in  the  Bihe. 

The  following  morning,  early,  I  went  out  to  seek  for 
game,  directing  my  steps  northward,  where  the  country 
was  covered  with  dense  forest.  After  a  walk  of  some 
eight  miles,  I  fell  in  with  the  river  Ouime  just  below  its 
great  cataract.    I  then  turned  back,  and  did  not  reach 


Fig.  41. — Cabango  Woman's  Head-Dress. 


the  camp  before  night,  when  I  was  regularly  fagged 
out.  My  sport,  however,  had  been  good,  and  I  had  seen 
the  river  I  so  ardently  desired  to  behold,  so  I  soon 
forgot  my  fatigue.  The  stream  is  certainly  a  very 
important  one,  and,  if  I  am  to  believe  the  natives,  it  is 
navigable  from  the  great  cataract  to  the  Cuanza. 

Next  day  I  again  explored  the  Onda,  and  was  greatly 
surprised  at  the  appearance  of  a  hamlet  which  I  descried 
at  a  distance  on  its  banks.    On  a  nearer  approach  I 


248 


TEE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


found  that  what  I  took  for  negro  habitations  were  no 
other  than  the  residences  of  white  ants  {termites), 
collected  in  considerable  groups,  with  conical  tops  and 
having  all  the  appearance,  seen  afar  off,  of  native  huts. 
On  getting  back  to  camp  I  found  the  Sova  of  Cabango, 
who  had  just  arrived  with  a  suite  of  sixty  men  and  a 
great  many  women. 


Fig.  42. — Cabango  Man. 


Though  in  almost  a  complete  state  of  nudity  of  body, 
they  were  extraordinarily  dressed  about  the  head. 
The  head-dresses  were  infinite  in  variety,  in  fact  were 
true  works  of  art,  and  have  a  technology  of  their  own. 

The  hair  worn  by  the  women,  frizzed  into  the  shape 
of  a  Roman  helmet  is  called  tronda,  and  that  which  falls 
in  braids  on  each  side  of  the  head  is  styled  cahengue. 

The  male  head-dresses,  on  the  other  hand,  are  known 
under  the  designation  of  sanica. 


AMONG  TEE  GANG  U ELL  AS. 


249 


The  Sova  offered  me  an  ox,  which  T  returned  in  a 
fashion  that  seemed  perfectly  to  satisfy  him. 

On  that  same  day  the  carriers  from  Capoco  arrived  ; 
they  were  but  four,  it  is  true,  but  four  were  then 
enough,  two  being  required  for  the  boat  and  two  others 
to  help  carry  the  heavier  loads. 


Fig.  43. — Cabango  Man. 


In  the  evening  my  negroes  and  those  of  the  locality 
had  a  jollification,  which  lasted  amid  great  uproar  until 
past  ten. 

The  cold  that  night  was  intense,  and  the  thermometer 
registered  at  3.30  a.m.  0°  F.  The  inequality  between 
the  maximum  and  minimum  was  most  extraordinary, 
and  the  dryness  of  the  atmosphere  extreme,  as  my 
meteorological  records  show. 

The  Sova  paid  me  another  visit  and  furnished  me 


250 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


with  scraps  of  information  about  the  country.  He 
stated  that  be  did  not  recognise  the  sovereignty  of  the 
Sova  of  Cuio  or  Mucuzo,  but  •  nsidered  himself  inde- 
pendent. 

There  is  a  good  deal  of  wax  about  the  woods,  and  the 
Bailundos  come  to  seek  it  in  exchange  for  cowries  and 
beads.  The  natives  work  in  iron  and  maka  large 
hatchets,  balls  and  knives,  but  their  war  hatchets, 
arrows  and  assegais,  are  obtained  from  the  Luchazes  and 
their  spades  from  the  Ganguellas,  Nhembas  and  Gon- 
zellos. 

I  discovered  that  the  Sova,  whose  name  was  Cha- 
quiunde,  was  rather  loose  in  his  principles  and  did 
not  adhere  very  strictly  to  the  truth  when  it  suited  his 
purpose  to  act  otherwise.  After  another  long  talk 
with  me,  he  pretended  that  he  was  entitled  to  a  variety 
of  things  on  the  ground  of  another  ox  he  had  given  me, 
which  was  a  pure  invention.  I  saw  myself  under  the 
necessity  of  desiring  him  to  leave  my  encampment; 
when  observing  my  firmness  he  changed  his  tone,  and 
sought  to  excuse  his  want  of  faith  by  alleging  that 
his  Macotas  had  put  him  up  to  the  ruse  with  the  idea 
of  dividing  among  themselves  whatever  could  be  got 
out  of  me. 

Fortunately,  about  this  time,  the  two  Quimbandes 
arrived  with  the  boat,  and  I  made  up  my  mind  to  start 
next  day,  the  28  th. 

This  resolve  I  carried  out,  but  not  so  early  as  I 
intended,  as  the  thermometer  at  6  a.m.  was  only  two 
degrees  above  zero  and  piercingly  cold.  I  therefore 
broke  up  my  camp  at  8,  and  after  nearly  three  hours' 
walk  in  an  E.S.E.  direction  I  stopped  again  on  the 
banks  of  the  river  Onda. 

Our  marches  were  of  necessity  short  ones  on  account 
of  my  carriers  being  so  heavily  laden. 

The  ground  from  the  river  Yarea  to  that  point  was 


AMONG  TEE  GANG  UELLAS. 


251 


covered  with  a  layer  of  sand,  the  subsoil  being  formed 
of  stiff  clay  varying  in  colour  from  a  dirty  white  to 
ash  grey. 

Near  the  bed  of  the  Onda  the  soil  appeared  to  be 
composed  of  a  thick  layer  of  mould,  resting  upon  the 
same  subsoil  of  grey  clay.  Beside  the  river  I  observed 
a  few  ant-hills  which  were  cobalt  blue  in  colour. 

The  open  ground  was  inhabited  by  a  different  species 
of  ants  {termites)  to  that  which  was  located  in  the 
forests.  The  former  constructed  hills  with  rounded  tops, 
exhibiting  the  appearance  of  stumps  of  trees  covered 
with  hemispherical  cupola,  being  from  thirty-two  to 
forty  inches  in  diameter  at  the  base  by  about  the 
same  in  height.  In  the  forests,  on  the  other  hand,  they 
are  true  cones  from  two  to  three  inches  in  diameter  at 
the  base,  and  from  ten  to  twelve  inches  high. 

Being  very  close  together,  they  have  a  resemblance 
to  a  fence  of  thorns,  stuck  into  the  ground. 

These  forest  ants  evidently  use  in  the  construction 
of  their  dwellings  the  first  material  which  comes  to 
hand,  as  the  mould  forming  the  surface  soil  of  the 
woods  appears  to  be  that  selected,  and  notwithstanding 
the  cement  employed  in  the  fabric,  the  mounds  have 
not  that  tenacity  and  durability  noticeable  in  the  hills 
raised  by  the  ants  of  the  open  ground.  The  latter 
employ  the  stiffest  clay,  and  the  consequence  is,  their 
habitations  are  nearly  as  hard  as  stone.  In  fact,  so 
strong  are  they  that,  though  the  interior  is  honey- 
combed like  a  bee-hive,  a  Snider  bullet  will  not 
penetrate  deeper  into  them  than  four  or  five  inches. 

As  I  before  observed,  on  the  banks  of  the  Onda 
these  ants  crowd  their  hills  into  limited  spaces,  and  they 
have,  at  a  distance,  a  remarkable  resemblance  to  Quim- 
bandes  villages. 

For  upwards  of  an  hour  after  leaving  the  encamp- 
ment I  strolled  along  the  river  upon  open  ground, 


252 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


but  I  then  came  upon  a  splendid  forest,  tnrough  which 
ran  several  brooks,  affluents  of  the  On  da. 

At  times  the  forest  assumed  the  aspect  of  one  of 
those  extensive  English  parks  where  the  ground  was 
completely  clothed  with  a  soft  green  turf.  I  wandered 
on  and  on,  until  at  length  my  steps  were  arrested  as  if 
by  magic,  while  my  eyes  contemplated  with  delight  one 
of  the  most  charming  prospects  they  had  ever  beheld. 

Before  me  lay  in  perfect  repose  a  lake  of  crystalline 
water,  whose  bed  of  fine  sand  was  visible  at  a  consider- 
able depth.  Enormous  trees  springing  from  the  borders 
of  the  lake  formed  an  appropriate  frame,  while  the  rich, 
deep  green  of  the  foliage,  reflected  to  the  smallest  bough 
on  the  placid  surface  of  the  water,  greatly  enhanced 
the  beauty  of  the  landscape.  The  green  turf  to  which 
I  have  alluded  ceased  only  at  the  water's  edge,  and 
hundreds  of  birds  chirped  and  twittered  amid  the 
dense  foliage,  and  at  times  skimmed  rapidly  over  the  lake. 

The  natives  of  the  country,  who  are  not  much  given 
to  poetry  or  sentiment,  are  nevertheless  sensible  of  the 
extreme  loveliness  of  this  spot,  and  call  the  sheet  of 
water — of  which  they  had  frequently  spoken  to  me — 
by  the  name  of  Lake  Liguri. 

All  the  rivulets  in  this  territory  have  marshy  banks, 
and  I  constantly  observed  in  the  stagnant  water  a  red 
deposit  which  I  at  first  attributed  to  the  presence  of 
iron,  but  afterwards  discovered  that  it  must  be  an 
error,  as  the  green  tea  made  with  the  water  gave  no 
evidence,  by  the  formation  of  tannate  of  iron,  of  the 
presence  of  that  substance.  No  doubt  the  red  colour 
is  due  to  an  accumulation  of  infusory  animalcula. 

I  further  observed  on  my  way  hither  from  the  Bihe', 
that  all  those  places  which  have  stagnant  water  abound 
in  leeches,  and  that  these  creatures  were  still  more 
abundant  in  the  little  pools  collected  beside  the  affluents 
of  the  Onda. 


AMONG  TEE  GANGUELLAS. 


253 


The  river  continued  to  be  between  11  and  13  yards 
broad  with  a  depth  of  13  to  16  feet,  without  any  very 
sensible  current.  Its  banks  contained  a  large  quantity 
of  game. 

On  the  following  day  I  travelled  S.E.,  still  upon  the 
right  bank  of  the  Onda,  for  a  space  of  three  hours, 
forcing  a  passage  with  some  difficulty  through  a  dense 
forest,  and  wading  with  even  greater  difficulty,  on 
account  of  the  slimy  nature  of  its  bed,  through  the 


Fig.  44. — Lake  Liguri. 


Cobongo  rivulet — 13  feet  wide  by  3  deep.  After  some 
three  more  hours  I  got  tired  of  the  Onda,  and  on 
meeting  another  little  affluent,  the  Cangombo,  kept 
along  its  edge  for  some  distance,  then  crossed  it  and 
encamped  on  the  left  bank  of  a  third  rivulet,  the 
Bitovo. 

On  the  30th  of  June  I  continued  my  journey  east- 
ward on  the  bank  of  the  Bitovo,  traversed  some  miles 
of  forest,  and  then  reached  the  valley  of  the  Chiconde,  a 


254 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


rivulet  whose  course  I  followed  till  I  reached  the  Cuito, 
where  I  camped.  I  was  much  moved  on  falling  in  with 
the  Chiconde  to  observe  its  waters  running  rapidly 
towards  the  river  Cuito,  for  until  then  I  had  only  met 
with  streams  which  ran  towards  the  Atlantic ;  and  their 
waters,  whose  ripple  and  rush  had  so  often  lulled  me  to 
sleep,  were,  so  to  speak,  a  tie  which  still  bound  me 
to  my  dear  country,  as  they  emptied  themselves  into 
the  same  ocean  which  bathed  the  shores  of  my  native 
Portugal.  Could  those  waters  only  have  conveyed  the 
sighs  and  whispered  words  that  were  uttered  over 
them,  how  many  tender  messages  would  they  not  have 
carried  to  my  dear  ones  ! 

On  leaving  the  Bitovo,  that  tie  which  united  me  to 
the  Western  Coast  was  snapped,  and  Heaven  onlv 
knew  whether  it  would  again  be  joined.  That  very 
day  a  year  had  passed  since  I  bade  farewell  to  my  dear 
old  father ;  and  how  vividly  did  I  not  remember  his 
parting  words  and  the  expression  of  his  fears  that  we 
were  bidding  each  other  an  eternal  adieu  ! 

My  camp  was  next  pitched  in  the  country  of  the 
Luchazes,  the  Quimbandes  being  left  behind  me  when 
I  quitted  the  Bitovo. 

Several  men  and  women  from  the  village  on  the 
right  bank  uf  the  Cuito  came  into  camp  ;  but  they 
brought  nothing  with  them  for  sale,  and  we  wanted 
food.  They  promised,  however,  next  day  to  let  us  have 
some  canary-seed,  as  it  appeared  they  did  not  grow 
either  Indian  corn  or  massambala. 

They  cultivate  in  their  fields,  canary- seed  (massango), 
a  little  manioc,  beans,  castor  and  cotton,  but  all  upon  a 
small  scale  ;  indeed,  barely  necessary  for  the  consump- 
tion of  the  growers. 

They  collect  a  good  deal  of  wax  about  the  forest, 
from  the  hives  built  in  the  trees  where  the  bees  swarm. 
This  wax  they  barter  for  dried  fish  from  the  Cuanza, 


AMONG  TEE  GANGUELLAS. 


255 


which  the  Quimhandes  bring  over,  as  their  own  river, 
the  Cuito,  apparently  produces  no  fish. 

The  Luchazes  are  little  given  to  travelling,  and 
rarely  leave  their  villages  except  to  hunt  the  antelopes 
for  the  sake  of  their  skins.  Their  field  work  is  carried 
on  by  both  men  and  women. 

The  petty  chief  who  governs  the  sparse  hamlets  on 
the  borders  of  the  river  Cuito  is  the  Moena-Calengo, 
who  pays  tribute  to  another  chief,  Moena-Mutemba,  the 


Fig  45. — A  Luchaze  of  the  Baxks  of  the  River  Cuito. 

situation  of  whose  village  I  could  not  precisely  ascer- 
tain. 

The  Luchazes  work  in  iron  and  produce  all  such 
implements  as  they  require.  Iron  is  to  be  found  within 
the  country. 

One  thing  particularly  struck  me  among  these 
barbarians,  viz.  the  use  of  tinder  to  procure  fire,  by 
means  of  a  flint  and  steel.  The  flints  are  imported 
by  the  Quibocos  or  Quiocos,  and  exchanged  for  wax, 


256 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


and  the  steels  are  manufactured  by  themselves  out  of 
wrought  iron,  tempered  by  cold  water  into  which  they 
are  thrown  while  the  metal  is  red-hot.  The  tinder  is 
prepared  from  cotton  mixed  with  the  kernel  contained 
in  the  stone  of  a  fruit  called  micha,  well  crushed. 

The  Luchazes  women  use  baskets  of  a  different  kind 
to  those  employed  by  the  Quimbandes,  and  carry  them 
differently,  inasmuch  as  they  are  suspended  from  their 
heads  by  a  broad  strip  of  the  bark  of  a  tree,  and  fall 
upon  their  backs.     This  mode  of  disposing  of  their 


Fig.  46. — Tinder-Box,  Flint  and  Steel. 


baskets  prevents  them  carrying  their  children  in  the 
mode  generally  in  use  in  Africa,  upon  their  shoulders, 
so  that  the  little  ones  are  slung  by  their  sides. 

On  the  morning  of  the  following  day,  several  women 
came  to  offer  us  some  canary-seed  (rnassango),  but  in 
such  small  quantities  that  it  rather  aggravated  than 
appeased  our  hunger. 

The  river  Cuito,  at  the  point  where  I  crossed  it, 
is  23  feet  wide  by  3  deep,  and  has  a  current  of  82  feet 
per  minute. 


AMONG  TEE  GANG  UELLAS, 


257 


It  is  an  affluent  of  the  Cubango,  and  at  its  confluence 
stands  the  important  village  of  Darico. 

It  takes  its  rise  in  the  table-land  of  Cangala,  at  no 
great  distance  from  the  sources  of  the  Cuime  and 
Cuiba  (affluents  of  the  Cuanza),  and  that  of  the  Lungo- 
e-ungo,  an  affluent  of  the  Zambesi. 

Being  unable  to  procure  provisions,  I  resolved  to  go 
forward,  and  while  giving  orders  to  break  up  the 


Fig.  47. — A  Luchaze  Woman  on  the  Road. 

encampment,  a  gang  of  female  slaves,  conducted  by- 
three  negroes,  arrived  on  the  banks  of  the  Cuito. 

I  seized  the  three  blacks,  and  had  the  poor  creatures 
set  at  liberty.  When  they  were  assembled  in  my  camp, 
I  informed  them  that  they  were  free,  and  that  if  they 
chose  to  join  my  company,  I  would  find  means  of 
sending  them  on  to  Benguella. 

I  assured  them  they  had  nothing  more  to  fear  from 

VOL.  I.  S 


258 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


their  guards,  and  that  they  were  quite  at  liberty  to  act 
as  they  pleased.  To  my  astonishment,  they  one  and  all 
declared  that  they  did  not  desire  my  protection,  but 
wished  to  continue  their  course,  which  I  had  interrupted. 

Whence  came  they  ?  None  could  furnish  me  with  an 
intelligible  reply.  What  then  was  to  be  done  ?  I  felt 
a  natural  repugnance  to  take  them  with  me  against 
their  own  will  ;  so,  after  due  deliberation,  I  resolved  to 
let  the  poor  women  follow  the  sad  fate,  which  they 
had  the  means,  but  lacked  the  inclination,  to  escape. 

And  after  all,  would  they  have  been  better  off  if  they 
had  followed  me?  It  is  no  easy  matter,  whatever 
people  may  think  of  it  in  Europe,  to  set  a  gang  of 
slaves  at  liberty  when  the  operation  has  to  be  performed 
at  a  distance  from  European  dominion  and  influence.  A 
batch  of  slaves  consists  of  natives  of  different  districts, 
some  of  which  are  exceedingly  remote.  If  he  who  sets 
them  at  liberty  is  desirous  of  restoring  them  to  their 
families,  he  will  have  to  traverse  a  great  part  of 
Africa  in  search  of  the  homes  of  his  proteges,  which  is 
practically  impossible. 

To  abandon  them  after  giving  them  their  freedom  is 
tantamount  to  delivering  them  up  as  a  prey  to  the 
first  tribe  which  they  fall  in  with. 

It  frequently  happens  that  these  unfortunates,  carried 
off  from  their  villages  in  tender  years,  lose  all  recollec- 
tion of  the  place  where  they  were  born,  and  learning  to 
speak  a  language  different  to  that  which  they  babbled 
in  childhood,  end  by  adopting  as  their  country  the  land 
of  their  slavery,  and,  in  fact,  know  no  other. 

Nowadays,  that  the  English  and  Portuguese  vessels 
of  war  are  cruising  in  the  Atlantic  and  Indian  Oceans, 
the  exportation  of  human  cargoes  is  considerably  im- 
peded ;  slavery  constitutes  an  object  of  barter  solely  in 
the  interior,  and  the  system  of  the  infamous  trade  is 
considerably  modified. 


AMONG  TEE  OA  NO  UELLA  S. 


259 


A  slave,  for  instance,  appears  in  Africa  under  two 
guises :  either  as  a  prisoner  of  war,  or  in  payment  of  a 
debt  due  from  the  parents. 

In  former  times  wars  were  waged  for  the  express 
purpose  of  making  prisoners  and  converting  them  into 
slaves,  nor  has  the  system,  unhappily,  quite  worn  out 
at  the  present  day. 

A  human  creature  given  by  an  impecunious  parent 
in  payment  of  a  debt  contracted  or  of  a  fine  levied,  is 
common  enough. 

Where  wars  occurred  in  the  olden  time,  every 
prisoner  became  a  slave,  and  it  was  not  easy  for  him, 
even  as  an  adult,  to  return  to  Africa  after  being  once 
landed  on  the  American  coast.  The  Atlantic  Ocean 
formed  a  pretty  safe  barrier. 

Those  same  adults,  as  being  capable  of  doing  much 
more  work,  were  always  preferred  to  mere  youths  and 
children. 

But  it  is  not  so  to-day.  A  grown  man  takes  to 
flight,  and  has  ever  in  his  mind  the  thought  of  returning 
to  the  nest  whence  he  has  been  dragged,  and  this  hope 
never  abandons  him  so  long  as  he  treads  the  soil  of 
the  continent  on  which  his  country  lies.  As  a  negro 
himself  said  to  me  : — u  they  are  always  running  away? 

A  child,  a  youth  and  a  woman  offer  far  greater 
security  to  the  owner,  for  being  more  irresolute  of  spirit, 
they  do  not  dare  face  the  thought  of  crossing  vast  tracts 
of  country  to  arrive  at  their  own. 

It  consequently  happens  that  at  the  present  time,  in 
South  Central  Africa,  a  child  and  a  woman  have  greater 
value,  and  in  the  gangs  of  unhappy  creatures  who  drag 
their  cruel  irons  across  the  African  soil,  it  is  a  rare  thing 
to  find  a  full-grown  man. 

England,  Portugal  and  France  have,  of  late  years, 
vied  with  each  other  in  making  war  upon  this  trade  in 
human  flesh,  and  the  change  that  time  has  brought 

S  2 


260 


TEE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


about  upon  the  American  continent  has  aided  very 
considerably  in  diminishing  the  horrible  traffic  and,  as 
a  matter  of  course,  in  essentially  modifying  its  condition, 
in  Central  Africa. 

Nevertheless  I  will  venture  to  assert  that  it  is  not 
this  generation  or  the  next  that  will  see  the  slave 
disappear  from  the  African  soil. 

The  same  principle  that  was  formerly  dominant  in 
America  of  using  slaves  as  colonists  exists,  and  will  exist 
for  a  long  time  to  come  in  Africa. 

Negro  governments  have  likewise  their  colonising 
policy,  and  we  do  not  possess  between  them  and  the 
places  whence  the  slaves  are  derived  a  "silver  streak" 
whereon  to  float  our  squadrons  and  lend  these  poor- 
creatures  the  protection  of  batteries  of  steel.  It  is  only 
by  the  aid  of  a  wide-spread  civilisation  that  we  may 
hope  one  day  to  see  the  end  of  slavery,  but  unhappily 
that  day  is,  as  yet,  far  distant,  because  the  arguments 
that  have  been  hitherto  used  have  been  found  far  less 
eloquent  and  persuasive  than  rifled  shot  have  proved 
in  the  Atlantic  and  Indian  Oceans. 

I  am  myself  of  opinion  that  the  abolition  of  slavery 
in  the  interior  of  South  Central  Africa  will  only  become 
an  accomplished  fact  when  polygamy  ceases  to  exist 
among  the  blacks,  for  although  the  principles  of  civili- 
sation may  do  away  with  slavery  as  an  institution,  the 
brutal  sensuality  of  the  negro  will  retain  the  female  slave. 

I  do  not  wish  it  to  be  inferred  from  this  that  I  would 
treat  as  useless  any  efforts  that  may  be  made  to  put 
down  this  most  shameful  trade.  I  want  merely  to 
point  out  the  difficulty,  as  I  consider  it,  of  its  complete 
annihilation.  The  subject,  however,  is  leading  me  away 
from  matters  of  more  immediate  interest.  So  I  resume 
my  narrative. 

I  mentioned  that  the  girls  did  not  care  to  be  set  free, 
and  were  therefore  allowed  to  follow  their  leaders. 


AMONG  THE  GANG  U ELL  AS. 


261 


I  also  prepared  for  my  departure,  compelled  thereto 
more  especially  by  the  necessities  of  the  stomach,  which 
in  journeys  of  exploration  are  just  as  imperious,  and  in 
fact  even  more  so  than  geographical  societies. 

I  therefore  set  out  in  an  easterly  direction,  and  after 
a  two  hours'  march  sighted  a  village  and  pitched  my 
camp  on  the  banks  of  a  rivulet  close  up  to  it.  I  learned 
that  both  rivulet  and  village  bore  the  name  of  Bern  be. 

When  the  work  of  cutting  down  the  wood  for  our 
encampment  commenced,  I  saw  a  sudden  commotion 
among  my  blacks,  who  then  took  to  their  heels  in  every 
direction.  Not  understanding  the  cause  of  their  panic; 
I  immediately  proceeded  to  the  spot  to  make  inquiries. 
On  the  very  place  which  I  had  selected  for  my  camp, 
appeared  issuing  from  the  earth  millions  of  that  terrible' 
ant  called  by  the  Bihenos  quissonde,  and  it  was  the 
sight  of  these  formidable  creatures  which  scattered  my1 
men.  The  quissond;3  ant  is  one  of  the  most  redoubtable' 
wild  beasts  of  the  African  continent.  The  natives  say  it; 
will  even  attack  and  kill  an  elephant,  by  swarming  into 
his  trunk  and  ears.  It  is  an  enemy  which,  from  its 
countless  numbers,  it  is  quite  vain  to  attack,  and  the 
only  safety  is  to  be  found  in  flight.  The  length  of  the 
quissonde  is.  about  the  eighth  of  an  inch  ;  its  colour  is  a 
light  chestnut,  which  glistens  in  the  sun. 

The  mandibles  of  this  fierce  hymenopter  are  of  great 
strength  and  utterly  disproportioned  to  the  size  of  the 
trunk.  It  bites  severely,  and  little  streams  of  blood 
issue  from  the  wounds  it  makes. 

The  chiefs  of  these  terrible  warriors  lead  their 
compact  phalanxes  to  great  distances  and  attack  any 
animal  they  find  upon  the  way. 

On  more  than  one  occasion  during  my  journey  I  had 
to  flee  from  the  presence  of  these  dreadful  insects. 
Occasionally  upon  my  road  I  have  seen  hundreds  of 
them,  apparently  crushed  beneath  the  foot,  get  up  and 


262 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


continue  their  march,  at  first  somewhat  slowly,  but 
after  a  time  with  their  customary  speed,  so  great  is 
their  vitality. 

It  will  not  be  out  of  vjlace  here  to  say  a  few  words 
about  some  other  African  ants  of  a  more  ordinary  kind 
than  the  quissonde. 

One  is  a  black  ant,  only  half  the  length  of  the 
quissoncle,  but,  like  the  latter,  armed  with  powerful 
mandibles.  The  Bihenos  call  it  the  ohinginge.  It  is 
the  sworn  enemy  of  the  termites,  against  which  it  wages 
the  fiercest  wars,  and  generally  comes  off  victorious, 
notwithstanding  the  smallness  of  its  size. 

These  little  ants  are,  however,  a  positive  benefit  to  the 
natives,  owing  to  the  enormous  havoc  they  make  among 
the  larvse,  nymphae  and  eggs  of  the  termites. 

In  certain  places  I  found  in  the  dwellings  of  the 
termites  a  large  quantity  of  giant  ants,  some  of  which 
measured  five-eighths  of  an  inch  in  length,  and  which 
prey  upon  the  abundant  neuroptera  of  South  Africa. 

These  ants,  as  I  presumed,  being  but  little  given  to 
build  houses  for  themselves,  take  up  their  lodging  with 
their  more  industrious  neighbours. 

None  of  these  insects,  with  the  exception  of  the 
quissonde,  will  attack  man,  but  the  latter  will  do  so 
always,  with  the  result  of  putting  him  to  flight,  as 
my  carriers  were  ignominiously  forced  to  do  on  the 
banks  of  the  Bembe. 

I  had  therefore  to  seek  out  another  spot,  as  far 
removed  as  possible  from  the  former  one,  on  which  to 
pitch  my  camp. 

Some  messengers  whom  I  had  despatched  to  the 
village  of  Bembe  returned  with  the  unpleasant  news 
that  the  petty  chief  of  the  place  had  given  orders  to 
his  people  to  sell  me  no  provisions. 

We  wrere  all  beginning  to  feel  the  cravings  of  hunger  ; 
game  there  was  none,  and  our  entire  food  during  the 


AMONG  TEE  GANG UELLAS. 


263 


day  Lad  been  a  handful  or  so  of  massango,  which 
fell  to  each  of  us  in  the  division  I  made  of  what  was 
obtained  on  the  banks  of  the  river  Cuito. 

The  country  in  which  we  now  stood  was  completely 
unknown  to  all  of  us,  and  as  the  natives  without  excep- 
tion gave  us  a  wide  berth,  we  had  no  means  of  removing 
our  ignorance. 

I  called  my  pombeiros  together,  and  pointed  out  to 
them  the  absolute  necessity  of  pushing  ahead  next  day, 
in  the  hope  of  reaching  a  more  hospitable  region. 

They  agreed  with  me  as  to  the  necessity  of  doing  so, 
and  resolved  to  urge  on  their  men  as  much  as  possible  ; 
no  easy  matter,  however,  on  account  of  their  being 
weakened  through  insufficiency  of  food.  For  the  last 
two  days  I  had  observed  vestiges  of  the  country  having 
been  at  one  time  exceedingly  populous — ruins  of  old 
villages,  some  of  them  very  old,  being  scattered  here 
and  there. 

The  questions  arose,  why  had  they  been  deserted  ? 
was  the  devastation  due  to  slavery  ?  was  it  owing  to 
the  insalubrity  of  the  climate  ?  was  it  caused  by  the 
dearth  of  game  ?  Was  it  the  inferior  quality  of  the 
soil  ? 

I  could  find  no  satisfactory  solution  to  these  queries  ; 
but  the  first  suggestion  appeared  to  me  the  most  likely 
one. 

Any  way,  this  unexpected  dearth  of  population  caused 
us  the  greatest  embarrassment ;  and  as  to  myself,  I  that 
night  suffered  positive  torture  from  the  cravings  of 
hunger. 

Next  morning,  early,  we  had  another  mishap  through 
one  of  the  carriers  falling  ill,  but  my  Doctor,  Chacai- 
ombe,  though  he  could  not  cure  the  patient,  nevertheless 
remedied  the  evil  by  shouldering  the  sick  man's  pack. 

Just  as  we  were  leaving  we  had  a  visit  from  some 
of  the  natives— envoys  of  the  chief  of  the  Bembe — 


264 


-TEE  KING'S  BIFLE. 


who  came  to  solicit  something  on  his  behalf.  My  only 
answer  was  a  speech  about  what  I  thought  of  their 
dusky  master,  with  which  I  sent  them  about  their 
business. 

I  started  at  twenty  minutes  to  nine.  I  had  to  wade 
across  the  river  Bembe,  which  at  that  spot  was  2h 
yards  wide  and  3  feet  deep,  and  was  running  in  a  S.W. 
direction  into  the  Onto. 

The  right  bank  was  mountainous,  but  the  left,  after 
an  almost  vertical  cutting  11  yards  in  depth,  stretched 
out  in  a  level  and  marshy  plain  nearly  a  mile  in  width. 

The  journey  across,  or  rather  through,  the  marshy 
ground  cost  us  an  hour,  and  was  very  fatiguing  to  the 
half-famished  caravan. 

The  ground  afterwards  appeared  slightly  inclined 
and  covered  with  scrub,  which  was  very  difficult  of 
passage.  After  a  trying  march  of  another  hour  or  so, 
we  came  to  an  incline,  at  foot  of  which  appeared  a  plain 
whose  extent  was  incalculable,  owing  to  a  dense  forest. 
We  descended  for  some  60  yards  or  so  till  we  reached 
the  edge  of  the  wood,  but  had  then  to  alter  our  course, 
as  the  jungle  was  simply  impenetrable. 

We  lighted  upon  the  track  of  some  animal,  which  we 
followed  now  eastward,  now  north-westward,  and  then 
south,  until  we  came  to  a  dead  stop  on  the  edge  of  a 
precipice,  300  feet  at  least  in  depth,  at  foot  of  which 
was  brawling  a  mountain  torrent. 

The  difficulty  of  the  path,  the  heavy  loads  with 
which  the  men  were  weighted,  and  the  weakness  of  the 
latter,  induced  me  to  call  a  halt  and  pitch  our  camp. 

The  hunger  from  which  we  were  suffering  was 
beginning  to  get  unbearable.  There  was  but  one  hope 
which  animated  me,  namely  the  having  seen  vestiges 
of  game. 

It  was  not  a  pleasant  circumstance  that  immediately 
upon  our  arrival  we  should  be  visited  by  a  cobra,  which 


AMONG  THE  GANG  U ELL  AS. 


265 


we  fortunately  killed.  My  Doctor  averred  that  it  was 
of  a  most  poisonous  kind,  but  that  he  possessed  an  anti- 
dote to  its  bite.  In  spite  of  this  assurance  I  felt  more 
confidence  at  seeing  it  most  effectually  put  out  of  the 
way.  It  was  upwards  of  a  yard  in  length,  of  a  dusky 
red  upon  the  back  and  of  a  lighter  tint  upon  the  belly. 
The  eyes  were  green  and  brilliant  as  emeralds,  and  it 
had  a  bipartite  tongue. 

The  mouth  was  armed  with  four  teeth  disposed  like 
those  of  a  dog.  I  mention  these  features  as  they  may 
be  serviceable  to  those  who  follow  me  on  this  road. 

I  felt  that  game  must  be  obtained,  for  nature  could 
not  hold  out  much  longer.  Having  therefore  made  my 
arrangements,  I  started  off  in  one  direction  and  sent 
my  attendants  Augusto  and  Miguel,  the  only  trust- 
worthy woodsmen  I  possessed,  in  another. 

Shortly  after  leaving  the  camp  I  found  the  track  of  a 
herd  of  buffaloes,  and  at  once  followed  it. 

I  may  here  mention  incidentally  that  few  sportsmen  in 
Europe  can  form  an  idea  of  what  it  is  to  hunt  for  actual 
food.  If  it  can  be  called  a  pleasure  it  has  a  good  alloy 
of  pain  in  it. 

It  may  be  likened  in  some  measure  to  the  mixed 
feelings  of  a  gambler  who  approaches  the  table  for 
the  purpose  of  gaining  the  wherewithal  to  pay  a  debt 
of  honour,  and  who,  while  delivering  himself  up  to  the 
feverish  joy  of  play,  has  in  his  heart  the  tearing  anxiety 
of  uncertainty.  The  eyes  of  the  man,  while  devouring 
the  cards  which  slowly  fall  from  the  banker's  fingers, 
and  seeking  to  penetrate  through  the  bits  of  cardboard, 
the  quicker  to  remove  his  agony  of  doubt  as  to  whether 
it  is  safety  or  destruction  they  will  bring  to  him,  must 
surely  wear  some  such  expression  as  that  of  the  half- 
famished  huntsman  who  follows  the  trail  of  an  animal 
whose  possession  is  to  him  a  matter  of  life  or  death. 

There,  however,  the   resemblance   between  them 


266 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


ceases ;  for  the  huntsman  can  at  least,  in  singleness 
of  heart,  invoke  Divine  assistance  in  his  quest  and  his 
success. 

How  different  again  from  the  sensations  of  the  hunter 
stimulated  by  hard  necessity,  are  those  of  the  sportsman 
whom  pleasure  only  brings  into  the  field !  However 
keen  may  be  the  zest  with  which  the  latter  pursues  his 
prey,  he  is  not  so  indifferent  to  surrounding  objects 
but  that  he  can  stop  awhile  to  admire  the  lovely  land- 
scape or  pluck  a  brilliant  flower,  conscious  as  he  is  that 
if  he  fail  in  bringing  down  his  quarry,  his  table  will  be 
none  the  less  well  supplied,  or  his  bodily  comforts  be 
less  carefully  ministered  to. 

The  other  man  sees  nothing,  hears  nothing,  but  that 
has  a  bearing  upon  the  one  desired  object.  Heedless  of 
the  thorns  that  tear  him,  or  the  boughs  that  bruise  him 
in  pushing  them  too  carelessly  aside,  with  set  teeth  and 
beating  heart,  his  empty  stomach  egging  on  his  waning 
courage,  he  pushes  forward  to  reduce  to  the  utmost  the 
distance  lying  between  him  and  his  prey,  the  surer 
and  the  deadlier  to  make  his  aim. 

The  trail  I  followed  led  me  at  length  to  the  very 
bottom  of  the  precipice,  where  the  wrater  was  brawling 
over  its  uneven  bed,  and  for  a  considerable  time  I  kept 
along  its  right  bank,  till,  finding  an  opportunity,  I 
crossed  to  the  other  side,  whence  I  perceived  my  buffaloes 
grazing  at  the  outskirt  of  a  dense  virgin  forest. 

They  were  at  least  500  yards  from  me. 

Then  began  the  fatiguing  operation  of  stalking — my 
gun  on  the  trail,  wading,  as  it  were,  through  a  sea  of 
dry  grass.  From  time  to  time  I  would  raise  my  head 
to  see  how  much  my  distance  had  been  shortened,  and 
to  make  sure  the  creatures  had  not  taken  the  alarm. 
The  very  idea  brought  the  moisture  to  my  skin,  for  I 
longed  in  fancy  to  return  to  the  camp  and  bid  my 
followers  hie  to  the  banks  of  the  torrent,  where  they 


AMONG  THE  GANG  UELLAS. 


267 


would  find  provision  to  stay  the  cravings  of  their 
hunger. 

My  hopes  and  fancies  were  dispersed  as  if  by  an 
enchanter's  wand.  When  I  lifted  up  my  head  for  the 
last  time,  not  a  buffalo  was  visible.  They  must  have 
disappeared  within  the  forest. 

I  rose  in  all  haste  and,  with  the  utmost  speed  of 
which  I  was  capable,  followed  in  the  direction  they 
must  have  taken.  It  was  perfectly  in  vain.  The  thick 
and  springy  moss  which  covered  the  ground  left  not  a 
trace  of  their  passage,  nor  could  my  keenest  endeavours 
overcome  the  difficulty. 

It  was  a  deep  disappointment,  unrelieved  by  any  after- 
success  ;  so  that  about  six  in  the  evening,  worn  out  with 
fatigue  and  hunger,  I  made  my  way  back  to  the  camp, 
having,  as  I  calculated,  covered  some  twelve  miles  in  vain. 

The  others,  however,  had  been  more  happy  than 
myself.  Augusto  came  running  out  to  meet  me  with 
a  radiant  face,  and  with  no  little  triumph  led  me  up  to 
a  superb  antelope  which  he  had  shot  a  little  while  before. 
It  was  an  enormous  Hippotragus  equinus,  as  bulky  as 
an  ox. 

I  lost  no  time  in  cutting  it  up  and  dividing  it  equally 
among  us  all ;  and  after  so  lengthened  a  fast,  which,  as 
being  most  involuntary,  I  am  afraid  cannot  be  placed  to 
the  credit  side  of  my  account  hereafter,  I  made  such 
a  meal  as  onlv  those  who  have  been  in  the  same  fearful 
straits  can  adequately  appreciate. 

The  contentment  caused  in  my  whole  being  by  the 
consumption  of  a  hearty  supper  was  somewhat  dashed 
at  the  aspect  of  my  worthy  Miguel,  the  elephant 
slayer,  who  appeared  before  me  with  such  a  long  face 
that  I  was  sure  something  very  serious  had  occurred  to 
disturb  him,  and  when  I  learned  the  cause,  I  did  not 
wonder,  though  I  could  not  help  being  inwardly  amused, 
at  his  dismay. 


268 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


During  his  absence  my  pet  goat  Cora  had  got  into 
his  tent  and  sacrilegiously  munched  up  the  wonderful 
charm  which  he  possessed  for  slaying  elephants ! 

This  marvellous  talisman  consisted  of  a  human 
tooth  fallen  from  the  jaw  of  some  antiquated  skull, 
wrapped  up  in  straw  and  rags  by  a  medicine-man  of 
high  repute  who  had  imbued  it  with  sovereign 
virtues,  so  that  the  possessor  of  the  treasure  would 
find  it  easy  to  fall  in  with  and  slay  elephants  without 
the  slightest  danger  to  himself.  Miguel  was  for  a 
time  inconsolable,  but  I  managed  at  length  to  pacify 
him  by  the  promise  of  a  far  more  effective  charm  than 
the  one  he  had  lost. 

Nor  did  I  deceive  him  in  making  such  a  promise, 
since  the  excellent  rifle  I  intended  to  bestow  upon  him, 
when  we  reached  the  elephant  country,  would,  I  con- 
ceived, be  of  far  greater  value  than  any  amount  of 
rotten  teeth  packed  up  in  rags  and  straw. 

After  our  meal,  my  pombeiros  gathered  about  my 
fire,  and,  amid  other  things,  related  that,  during  my 
absence,  the  men  had  wandered  about  the  wood,  where 
some  had  collected  a  lot  of  honey,  and  others  had 
gathered  quantities  of  a  fruit  which  the  Bihenos  called 
atundo,  and  which  grew  upon  a  stunted  herbaceous 
plant.  The  fruit-stalks  spring  from  the  stem  quite 
close  to  the  ground,  and  the  fruit  is  just  as  much  below 
as  above  the  earth.  It  is  agreeable  enough  to  the 
palate,  but  1  doubt  it  being  very  nutritive. 

It  was  necessary  to  be  on  the  move  betimes  the 
following  morning,  so  that  we  broke  up  our  camp  much 
earlier  than  usual,  'in  spite  of  the  cold. 

We  started  in  a  S.E.  direction,  and  after  two  hours' 
march,  came  upon  a  river  that  was  very  difficult  to 
cross  over.  Its  width  was  rather  more  than  four  yards, 
and  depth  quite  as  much,  with  a  violent  current. 

I  gave  orders  for  the  felling  of  some  large  trees  and 


AMONG  TEE  GANG  U ELL  AS. 


269 


managed  to  throw  them  across  the  stream  by  way  of 
bridge,  over  which  my  entire  caravan  passed  in  safety. 
A  little  below  the  spot  where  we  crossed  the  stream, 
it  receives  the  waters  of  a  rivulet  running  from  the 
eastward  I  followed  the  course  of  this  rivulet  on  its 
right  bank  for  upwards  of  an  hour,  and  subsequently 
halted  near  two  villages. 

Immediately  upon  our  arrival  several  of  their  inhabi- 
tants gathered .  about  us,  with  whom  we  had  a  parley 
about  provisions.    A  lot  of  massango — the  canary-seed 


Fig.  47a. — Atundo,  Plant  and  Fruit. 


before  alluded  to — was  soon  brought  into  camp  by 
negroes  who  were  almost  entirely  destitute  of  clothing, 
and,  as  we  did  not  dispute  about  price,  we  shortly  had 
sufficient  for  that  day's  consumption. 

Friendly  relations  were  soon  established  between  the 
natives  and  my  people.  I  learnt  from  them  that  the 
rivulet  by  which  we  encamped  the  evening  before  was 
called  Licocotoa,  the  one  over  which  we  had  thrown 


270 


TEE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


the  bridge,  Nhongoaviranda,  and  the  brook  by  whose 
sources  we  were  now  staying,  Cambinbia. 

The  two  villages  built  upon  the  left  bank  of  the 
little  stream  were  Luchazes,  but  that  to  the  N.W.  of  my 
camp  was  inhabited  by  Quiocos  or  Quibocos.  They 
were  the  latter  with  whom  we  were  in  communication. 

I  consumed  more  than  a  pint  of  massango  boiled  in 
water,  and  did  not  find  it  an  unpleasant  food. 

After  satisfying  my  appetite,  I  calculated  the  position 
in  which  the  planet  Jupiter  would  be  that  night  at  the 
time  of  the  eclipse  of  the  first  satellite,  which  I  wanted 
to  observe,  but  my  camp  was  pitched  in  a  dense  forest 
which  prevented  me  seeing  the  stars. 

Directly  I  found  by  calculation  the  position  of  the 
planet  at  the  desired  moment,  I  selected  a  fitting  spot 
on  which  to  plant  my  telescope  and  gave  orders  to 
make  a  sufficient  clearance  of  the  wood  about  me  to 
allow  my  observations  to  be  made. 

The  tangled  jungle  was  tremendously  thick,  but  my 
Bihenos,  hatchets  in  hand,  set  to  work  with  a  will,  and 
in  a  couple  of  hours  gave  me  a  clear  opening.  The 
Quioco  or  Quiboco  women  who  visited  our  camp  carried 
their  children  by  their  sides  like  the  Luchazes,  that  is, 
suspended  from  the  opposite  shoulder  by  means  of  a 
sling  formed  of  the  bark  of  a  tree. 

In  addition  to  the  massango,  they  brought  with  them 
for  sale  certain  tuberculous  roots  called  genamba,  which 
my  people  seemed  to  enjoy  immensely,  but  which  I  found 
anything  but  agreeable.  They  do  not  grow  maize, 
and  feed  almost  entirely  on  massango. 

The  extravagant  head-dresses  to  which  I  have  more 
than  once  alluded  are  not  observable  among  the 
Quibocos  or  Quiocos,  and  their  body  covering  is  more 
miserable  than  that  adopted  by  the  Quimbandes.  The 
women,  as  usual,  are  more  scantily  clad  than  the  men. 

My  readers  may,  perhaps,  feel  some  surprise  to  hear 


AMONG  THE  GANG  UELLAS. 


271 


me  talk  of  Quiocos  when  I  am  in  the  very  heart  of  the 
Luchaze  district,  and  I  can  assure  them  that  my  as- 
tonishment was  quite  as  great  at  finding  them  there. 

The  constant  emigration  of  the  Quiocos  and  the 
colonisation  by  them  of  the  Luchaze  territory  are 
undoubted  facts. 

The  country  of  these  Quiocos  or  Quibocos  (for  they 
are  called  indifferently  by  both  names)  is  situated  to 
the  north  of  Lobar,  on  the  eastern  slopes  of  the  Serra 
daMozamba.  Livingstone  makes  it  cut  by  parallel  11 
south,  and  by  the  20th  meridian  east  of  Greenwich. 

The  Quiocos  are  travellers  and  bold  huntsmen.  Many 
of  them,  dissatisfied  with  their  own  country,  emigrated 
southwards,  crossed  the  Lobar,  and  established  them- 
selves on  the  right  bank  of  the  Lungo-e-ungo  in  the 
Luchaze  territory. 

Finding  themselves  unmolested,  they  were  soon 
followed  by  others,  so  that  at  the  present  day  the 
emigration  is  constant.  They  have  not,  however,  all 
stopped  there,  many  having  gone  still  farther  south- 
wards and  settled  on  the  banks  of  the  Cubango.  The 
greater  part  of  the  inhabitants  of  Darico  are  Quiocos. 

In  answer  to  my  inquiries  as  to  the  motives  which 
induced  them  to  leave  their  country,  they  said  it  was 
sickness  and  the  scarcity  of  game. 

The  Quiocos  with  whom  we  were  in  communication 
were  only  recent  settlers  and  had  no  store  of  provisions 
to  dispose  of;  but  they  informed  me  that  on  the  other 
side  of  a  lofty  serra  lying  to  the  eastward,  there  were 
several  Luchaze  villages  and  abundance  of  food. 

I  hired  guides  to  take  us  thither  and  resolved  on 
starting  the  very  next  day,  which,  however,  I  was 
prevented  doing  by  the  illness,  during  the  night,  of 
several  of  the  men. 

My  young  nigger  Pepeca  appeared  before  me  in  the 
morning  with  an  enormous  goitre-like  swelling,  and 


272 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


almost  all  my  people  were  suffering  more  or  less  from 
the  stomach,  no  doubt  owing  to  the  massango  they  had 
eaten,  but  to  which  they  got  quite  habituated  later  on. 
Happily,  I  myself  felt  no  inconvenience  from  the  new 
kind  of  food. 

I  sent  to  the  two  Luchaze  villages  on  the  left  bank 
of  the  Cambinbia,  but  my  messengers  returned  empty- 
handed,  as  the  natives  refused  to  sell  them  anything. 
We  owed  to  the  Quibocos  the  provisions  we  required 
for  that  day's  consumption. 

There  were  some  of  the  men  on  the  sick  list  the  next 
day,  but  we  were  compelled  to  leave,  as  the  natives 
pointed  out  the  impossibility  of  furnishing  me  with 
anything  more  to  eat.  I  obtained  from  them  a  few 
men  to  supply  the  place  of  the  carriers  who  were 
invalided,  and  at  nine  next  morning  we  left  the  camp 
and,  preceded  by  the  guides,  directed  our  course  to  the 
Serra  Cassara  Caie'ra,  the  lofty  mountain  to  which 
allusion  had  been  made  the  day  before,  and  beyond 
which  we  were  to  find  abundance  of  provisions. 

The  actual  height  of  the  mountain  is  5298  feet  above 
the  sea-level,  or  450  feet  above  my  camp  on  the  Cam- 
binbia. It  forms  a  table-land  with  tolerably  steep 
slopes.  The  climb  to  the  top  was  fatiguing.  During 
the  process  the  carriers  beguiled  the  time,  and  perhaps 
lightened  their  labours,  by  a  monotonous  chant,  which 
literally  translated  ran  as  follows  : 

"  The  cobra  has  no  arms,  no  legs,  no  hands,  no  feet. 
And  yet  he  climbs  the  mount!  Why  should  not  we 
get  up  as  well,  with  arms  and  legs  and  hands  and 
feet?" 

I  went  on  for  about  an  hour  along  the  summit  of  the 
serra  from  wTest  to  east  until  I  came  to  the  descent. 

From  the  highest  point,  a  magnificent  panorama 
meets  the  eye  of  the  spectator,  extending  from  N.E.  to 
N.W.  The  entire  course  is  visible  of  the  river  Cuango, 


AMONG  TEE  GANG  UELLAS. 


273 


the  southern  affluent  of  the  Lungo-e-ungo.  The 
eye  can  distinguish  the  vast  watershed  of  the  latter 
river  from  Cangala  to  the  confluence  of  the  Cuango, 
together  with  the  higher  watersheds  of  the  rivers 
Cuito,  Cuime  and  Cuiba.  The  extent  of  prospect  is 
truly  surprising. 

On  the  western  slope  of  the  Serra  the  arboreous 
vegetation  is  splendid ;  the  summit,  which,  as  I  have 
hinted,  is  of  considerable  length,  is  somewhat  poor, 
but  the  eastern  slope  again  is  wonderfully  rich  in  trees 
and  shrubs.  This  eastern  side  bears  the  name  of 
Bongo-Jacongonzelo. 

I  pitched  my  camp  at  the  source  of  the  Cansampoa, 
a  rivulet  which  runs  into  the  Cuango  ;  not  having 
met  with  a  drop  of  water  throughout  the  day's 
journey. 

In  the  immediate  vicinity  of  my  camp,  but  on  the 
other  side  of  the  rivulet,  were  five  Luchaze  hamlets. 
They  are  all  governed  by  a  petty  chief  who  does 
homage  to  the  Sova  Chicoto,  whose  village  is  situated 
at  the  confluence  of  the  Cuango  with  the  Lungo-e'-ungo. 
The  other  two  Luchaze  hamlets,  which  are  on  the 
Cambinbia,  are  subject  to  the  Moene  Calengo  on  the 
river  Cuito. 

The  petty  chief  before  alluded  to,  and  who  rejoices 
in  the  name  of  Cassangassanga,  came  to  call  on  me, 
bringing  with  him  a  kid  by  way  of  present.  A  few 
beads  made  him  quite  satisfied.  He  promised  to  send 
me  some  massango,  and  guides  to  conduct  me  to  the 
village  of  Cambuta,  where,  as  he  alleged,  I  should  find 
abundance  of  provisions.  He  was  as  good  as  his  word, 
and  the  massango  and  guides  appeared  in  due  course. 

The  massango,  when  divided,  supplied  a  scanty 
ration  to  each  of  us,  and,  as  the  kid  was  but  a  small 
one,  we  went  to  bed  with  appetites  very  inefficiently 
satisfied. 

VOL.  I.  T 


274 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


The  natives  cultivate  massango,  a  little  manioc,  still 
fewer  beans,  the  castor-oil  plant,  in  tolerable  quantities, 
and  a  few  hops. 

They  work  in  iron  with  considerable  skill,  the  ore 
being  found  in  the  country. 

On  the  6th  of  July  I  started  in  an  easterly  direction, 
and,  after  three  hours'  journey,  the  last  of  which 
was  along  the  bank  of  the  Cansampoa  rivulet,  I 
camped  near   the  river   Biceque,  which  runs   in  a 


N.E.  direction  to  unite  its  waters  with  those  of  the 
Cutangjo,  an  affluent  of  the  Lungo-e-ungo.  The 
country  is  dotted  over  with  hamlets,  whose  populations 
obey  the  Sova  of  Cambuta.  I  was  able  at  the  latter 
place  to  get  a  tolerable  supply  of  massango,  the  sole 
article  of  food  they  cultivate  in  any  quantity,  and  con- 
sequently the  only  one  they  offered  for  sale. 

Fortunately  there  were  large  flocks  of  wood- 
pigeons  :  indeed,  I  never  saw  them,  more  abundant 
than  in  this  district ;  and  I  managed  to  bring  down 


AMONG  THE  GANGUELLAS. 


275 


not  a  few,  charging  my  gun  with  little  pebbles  from 
the  bed  of  the  rivulet. 

At  this  time,  several  of  my  carriers  fell  ill ;  some 
suffering  from  goitre,  and  others  from  inflammation 
of  the  stomach,  arising  doubtless  from  bad  and  in- 
sufficient food. 

Among  the  girls  who  came  into  my  camp  to  dispose 
of  massango  I  noticed  more  than  one  of  elegant  form 
and  graceful  carriage.    It  could  not  be  said  that  they 


Fig.  49. — Luchaze  Woman  of  Cambuta. 


owed  anything  to  art,  for  clothing  they  had  none ; 
a  little  strip  of  the  bark  of  a  tree  doing  duty  for  the 
traditional  fig-leaf. 

I  further  observed  that  both  men  and  women, 
without  exception,  had  their  four  front  incisors 
fashioned  like  a  triangle,  so  that,  the  teeth  being 
closed,  there  appeared  a  lozenge-shaped  aperture  in 
the  middle. 

The  cold  continued  intense  during  the  night,  and 

t  2 


276 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


we  could  get  no  rest  except  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
our  fires. 

On  the  following  day  there  appeared  greater  sickness 
than  ever  in  camp.  It  is  worthy  of  remark  that  the 
Bihenos  only  were  attacked,  whilst  the  Benguella 
negroes,  who  are  far  less  inured  to  the  exposure  and 
vicissitudes  of  travel,  almost  entirely  escaped. 

In  the  morning  a  large  and  ferocious  bird  was  killed 


Fig.  50. — Luchaze  Man  of  Cambuta. 


in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  camp.  It  might  have  been 
want  of  special  knowledge  on  my  part,  but  I  could  not 
assign  it  to  any  of  the  kinds  into  which  the  family  of 
diurnal  birds  of  prey  are  divided.  I  considered  it  a 
species  of  vulture,  although  solitary  of  its  kind.  It 
certainly  greatly  resembled  the  vulture,  saving  that 
its  dimensions  were  somewhat  smaller,  measuring  but 
3  feet  9  inches  from  wing  to  wing. 

Vulture  or  not,  it  was  a  bonne-bouche  to  my  Bihenos, 


AMONG  THE  GANG  UELLAS. 


277 


to  whom,  in  matters  of  gastronomy,  nothing  came  amiss, 
from  their  fellow  men  to  cormorants,  with  crocodiles, 
leopards  and  hyenas  in  between  :  all  were  welcome  to 
their  insatiate  jaws. 

On  that  day,  as  the  day  before,  every  hour  that  I 
could  spare  from  my  observations  I  spent  in  scouring 
the  neighbourhood  and  drawing  up  a  rough  map  of  the 


Fig.  51. — Articles  manufactured  by  the  Luchazes. 


1  and  3  Hatchets.      2.  Arrow.     4,  4.  Arrow-points.      5.  Spade. 

district,  taking  in  three  miles  to  the  south  of  the  source 
of  the  Biceque,  which  area  comprised  the  source  of 
another  river,  the  Cuanavare,  a  great  affluent  of  the 
Cuito.  Near  the  source  of  the  Cuanavare  I  came  upon 
the  village  of  Muenevinde,  governed  by  a  woman, 
whose  husband,  by  name  Ungira,  had  no  active  voice 
or  part  in  the  government. 

I  never  could  be  said  to  be  passionately  fond  of 


27S 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


kidney-beans,  but  that  night,  on  niy  return  to  camp, 
I  had  a  small  present  of  these  dainties  made  me,  and, 
truth  to  say,  I  devoured  them  with  infinite  appetite. 

The  Sova  of  Carnbuta  was  absent  at  the  chase,  and 
the  honours  of  his  house  were  done  me  by  his  wives, 
with  whom  I  was  soon  on  the  most  cordial  terms.  I 
obtained  from  them  not  only  a  good  share  of  massango, 
but  a  dozen  porters  to  carry  it,  and  two  guides  to  lead 
me  to  the  sources  of  the  Cuando  and  the  Cubangui,  an 
affluent  of  the  latter — rivers  which  the  natives  of  the 
country  told  me  were  the  largest  in  the  world. 

Grandiloquent  as  this  designation  undoubtedly  is,  it 
is  not  bestowed  without  a  show  of  reason,  and,  with  the 
permission  of  my  readers,  I  will  here  say  a  few  words 
about  these  magnificent  streams. 

The  river  Cuando,  of  a  certainty  the  largest  affluent 
of  the  Zambesi,  was  not  first  known  to  me  through  the 
information  furnished  by  the  Luchazes  of  Carnbuta. 
In  my  journey  from  the  Bihe  to  that  place,  I  kept 
much  more  to  the  north  than  the  Biheno  caravans  are 
accustomed  to  do ;  and  this  I  did  purposely,  fully  aware 
that  sooner  or  later  I  should  fall  in  with  the  watershed 
of  that  great  artery.  J  was  influenced  in  the  course  I 
took  by  conversations  with  Silva  Porto,  who  had 
already  descended  that  river  from  the  Cuchibi  to 
Liniante,  conveying  goods  in  canoes. 

He  had  furnished  me  with  certain  data  as  to  the 
sources  of  the  river  (with  the  central  and  lower  portions 
of  which  he  was  personally  acquainted),  and  which,  from 
information  supplied  him  by  the  natives,  he  fixed  at 
very  nearly  the  spots  where  I  actually  found  them. 

If  Silva  Porto  could  only  give  to  the  places  that 
he  knows  in  South  Central  Africa  their  correct  posi- 
tions in  latitude  and  longitude,  many  of  the  blanks 
that  now  exist  in  the  maps  of  the  country  would 
speedily  be  filled  up. 


AMONG  TEE  GANG  U ELLAS. 


279 


On  leaving  Cambuta,  therefore,  in  search  of  the 
sources  of  the  Cuando,  I  was  only  completing  the  itine- 
rary I  had  traced  out,  and  was  endeavouring  to  solve 
one  of  the  problems  that  I  most  ardently  desired  to 
unravel.  As  I  went  on,  I  was  collecting  at  every 
step  interesting  matters  of  detail ;  the  general  features 
having  already  been  delineated  by  Silva  Porto. 

My  guides  had  informed  me  that  we  should  have  to 
traverse,  beyond  the  river  Cutangjo,  a  waste  and  un- 
populated region,  so  that  it  behoved  us  to  provide 
ourselves  with  ample  stores  for  the  journey.  It  was 
this  communication  which  led  me  to  purchase  so  large 
a  quantity  of  massango,  and  to  hire  of  the  Sova's  wives 
twelve  men  to  carry  it. 

I  started  on  the  9  th  of  July,  at  9  o'clock  in  the 
morning :  three  hours  later  I  crossed  the  river 
Cutangjo,  and  camped  on  the  right  bank  of  that 
river  near  the  village  of  Chaquissembo.  The  Cutangjo 
is  there  4i  yards  wide  by  3  feet  deep,  and  runs 
N.N.E.  towards  the  Lungo-e-ungo.  I  observed  that 
in  the  plantations  there  was  some  manioc  and  a  great 
deal  of  massango — that  terrible  massango,  which 
literally  haunted  me  in  Africa  ! 

The  Luchazes  cultivate,  to  some  extent,  the  cotton 
and  castor-oil  plants.  They  work  the  iron  which  they 
obtain  from  the  banks  of  the  Cassongo,  and  are 
very  skilful  smiths. 

Almost  all  the  Luchazes  are  furnished  with  a  beard 
beneath  the  chin  and  a  small  moustache.  But  the 
extraordinary  fancy  in  head-dress,  which  I  have  more 
than  once  referred  to  as  exciting  my  wonder  and 
admiration,  is  unknown  among  them. 

The  men  wear  a  broad  belt  of  untanned  leather, 
fastened  with  buckles  of  their  own  manufacture ;  they 
cover  their  nakedness  with  skins,  and  further  shelter 
themselves  from  the  cold  with  licondes,  a  rough  kind 


280 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


of  cloth  woven  from  the  bark  of  various  forest- 
trees. 

They  make  no  pots  or  pipkins,  and  those  thej  use  are 
obtained  by  barter  from  the  Quimbandes. 

They  fashion  bracelets  out  of  copper,  which  is  supplied 
by  the  Lobares  in  exchange  for  wax,  the  Lobares  them- 
selves obtaining  the  metal  from  the  Lunda. 

I  paid  a  visit  to  the  village  of  Chaquicengo,  which, 


Fig.  52. — Luchaze  Woman  of  Cutakgjo. 


like  the  whole  of  the  inhabited  places  throughout  the 
country,  is  very  pretty  and  extremely  neat.  The  houses 
are  made  of  the  trunks  of  trees,  about  4  feet  in  height, 
which  is  in  fact  the  height  of  the  walls.  The  space 
between  each  upright  is  filled  in,  occasionally  with  clay, 
and  in  other  cases  with  straw.  The  roofs  are  thatched, 
and,  as  the  frame -work  is  composed  of  very  fine  rods, 
the  thatch  bends  inwards  and  produces  an  effect  similar 
to  the  roofs  of  the  Chinese.    The  granaries  are  perched 


AMONG  TEE  GANGUELLAS. 


281 


at  a  considerable  height  upon  a  timber  frame-work, 
entirely  of  straw,  and  a  movable  cover,  so  that  it  is 
necessary  to  remove  it  to  get  inside  to  seek  for  stores. 


Fi.g  53. — Luchaze  Pipe. 


Access  is  obtained  by  means  of  a  hand-ladder,  and 
they  are,  in  fact,  little  more  than  gigantic  water-proof 
baskets,  on  which  conical  covers  have  been  placed. 


Fig.  54. — Luchaze  Fowl-house. 


The  fowl-houses  are  quadrangular  pyramids  of  twigs 
of  trees,  placed  upon  four  lofty  feet  or  stakes,  to  protect 
the  inmates  from  the  attacks  of  small  carnivora. 

In  the  centre  of  the  village  I  observed,  as  in  the 


282 


TEE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


Cuambo,  a  Kiosque  or  temple  for  meeting  or  conver- 
sation. 

I  found  several  men  squatted  round  the  hearth,  busy 
making  bows  and  arrows.  They  received  me  very 
courteously,  and  offered  me  for  drink  a  liquor  composed 
of  water,  honey  and  powdered  hops,  which  they  mix 
together  in  a  calabash,  where  it  is  allowed  to  ferment. 
They  called  it  "  bingundo,"  and  I  thought  it  the  most 
alcoholic  stuff  I  had  ever  tasted. 

The  Luchazes  make  use  of  a  gin  or  trap  to  catch 
small  antelopes  and  hares,    It  is  ingenious  in  con- 


Fig.  55. — The  Urivi,  or  Trap  for  small  Game. 


struction,  and  will  be  readily  understood  by  a  glance  at 
the  drawing.    The  name  they  give  it  is  Urivi, 

On  my  return  to  camp,  after  an  excursion  to  the 
sources  of  the  Cutangjo,  I  was  accompanied  by  a  large 
number  of  men  and  women,  who  were  never  tired  of 
looking  at  and  watching  me.  They  were  none  of  them 
remarkable  for  beauty ;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  among 
the  natives  on  the  banks  of  the  Cutangjo,  I  saw  not  a 
few  male  specimens  of  perfectly  revolting  ugliness. 

These  people  not  only  collect  a  great  deal  of  wax 
from  the  forest,  but  encourage  the  bees  by  furnishing 
them  with  hives,  formed  of  bark  and  strips  of  wood, 
which  they  fasten  in  the  branches  of  the  trees. 


AMONG  THE  GANG  UELLA S. 


2S3 


Fig.  57. — Luc  haze  Articles. 
1.  Knife-sheath.    2.  Basket.    3.  Wooden  bolster.    4.  Bee-hive. 


284: 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


On  the  10th  of  July  we  started  at  8  in  the  morning, 
and  half  an  hour  later,  notwithstanding  the  presence  of 
the  guides,  we  lost  ourselves  in  a  forest  of  excessive  den- 
sity, from  which  we  only  managed  to  emerge,  with  con- 
siderable trouble,  at  10  o'clock.  We  then  traversed  a 
space  that  was  free  of  underwood,  but  covered  with 
gigantic  trees,  which  shaded  us  delightfully  from  the 
sun.  This  pleasure,  however,  was  short-lived,  for  in 
another  half-hour  we  were  in  a  thick  jungle  again, 
where  locomotion  was  difficult  and  even  painful.  At 
last,  at  20  minutes  past  11,  I  descried  the  pleasant  slope 
of  an  eminence,  at  whose  feet  lay  the  sparkling  water 
of  a  little  lake,  surrounded  by  a  verdant  carpet  of 
waving  grass. 

Just  as  I  reached  it,  I  knocked  over  an  animal,  which 
I  believe  is  called  Leopardus  jubatus,  whose  skin  went 
to  swell  the  number  which  constituted  my  feline  bed. 
This  skin,  on  which  I  slept  as  far  as  Pretoria,  I  sub- 
sequently presented  to  Dr.  Bocage. 

The  Leopardus  jubatus  must  be  rare,  as  I  only  saw 
two  specimens  throughout  the  course  of  my  journey. 
Its  sight,  I  presume,  is  defective  in  the  daytime  ;  my 
supposition  being  based  on  the  fact  that  both  of  those 
animals,  on  my  falling  in  with  them,  turned  their  ears, 
rather  than  their  eyes,  in  my  direction,  as  if  they 
trusted  more  to  their  sense  of  hearing  than  their  sight. 

Having  determined  the  position  of  the  sheet  of 
water,  1  drew  off  from  it,  and  had  my  camp  pitched 
some  hundred  yards  or  so  to  the  south  upon  the  rising 
ground,  and  about  90  feet  above  the  surface  of  the 
marsh ;  for  the  spot  where  the  great  affluent  of  the 
Zambesi  takes  its  rise  rather  deserved  that  name  than 
the  designation  of  a  lake. 

In  the  midst  of  my  labours  I  had  a  sudden  and 
violent  attack  of  fever,  which  completely  prostrated  me 
for  some  three  hours.    When  I  came  to  my  senses,  1 


AMONG  THE  GANG  UELLAS. 


285 


could  scarcely  refrain  from  smiling  at  my  curious 
plight.  I  was  literally  covered  with  amulets,  my  chest 
alone  being  thickly  strewed  with  the  horns  of  small 
antelopes,  full  of  the  most  precious  medicines.  A 
bracelet  of  crocodiles'  teeth  encircled  my  right  arm, 
and  two  enormous  buffalo-horns  were  suspended  from  a 
couple  of  poles  set  upright  in  my  tent. 

During  the  fever,  my  negroes  had  lavished  the 
greatest  care*  upon  my  person,  and,  in  obedience  to 
Dr.  Chacaiombe's  instructions,  had  heaped  these  things 
upon  me  with  the  utmost  faith  in  the  result. 

A  strong  dose  of  quinine,  which  I  took  as  soon  as  I 
was  able,  brought  about  my  speedy  recovery,  a  result 
that  was  no  doubt,  however,  set  down  to  the  virtues  of 
the  amulets. 

My  attendants,  Augusto  and  Miguel,  went  out  upon 
the  hunt  for  game,  but  brought  nothing  back  with 
them,  though  they  sighted  a  few  leopards  in  their 
rambles.  Many  traces  of  larger  game  were,  however, 
visible  on  all  sides. 

Early  next  day  I  drew  up  a  rough  map  of  the 
marsh ;  rectified  my  position,  and  constructed  a  small 
monument  of  clay  in  the  hut  where  I  made  my  obser- 
vations. Within  this  tumulus  I  buried  a  bottle  which 
had  contained  quinine,  carefully  wrapped  up,  and 
containing  a  paper,  on  one  side  of  which  I  wrote  the 
names  of  the  members  of  the  Central  Geographical 
Commission,  headed  by  that  of  His  Majesty  the  King 
of  Portugal,  and  on  the  other  the  co-ordinates  of  the 
spot  and  the  date. 

After  mid-day  the  Luchaze  guides  took  me  to  see 
the  source  of  the  river  Queimbo,  an  affluent  of  the 
Cuando,  on  the  western  side.  I  set  it  down  at  6 
geographic  miles  S.W.  of  the  marsh,  forming  the 
source  of  the  Cuando  itself. 

My  twelve  Luchaze  carriers  were  very  home-sick, 


286 


TEE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


and  complained  bitterly  of  the  cold.  The  country 
is  depopulated,  and  should  contain  a  great  deal  of 
game,  judging  from  the  traces  that  were  observable. 
Another  clear  evidence  of  the  fact  was  the  number 
of  leopards  we  started,  but,  unfortunately  for  us,  we 
started  nothing  else.  And  we  could  not  afford  to 
linger,  for  our  provisions  were  rapidly  disappearing, 
and  our  only  chance  of  relieving  our  hunger  was  to 
reach  the  Ambuella  villages  without  delay. 

On  the  morning  of  the  1 2th  July,  with  a  temperature 
only  2  degrees  above  zero,  I  broke  up  my  camp  and 
prepared  to  leave,  though  we  did  not  make  a  start 
before  8  o'clock. 

Thousands  of  paroquets,  that  were  harboured  in  the 
woods,  were  all  shrieking  at  once,  and  the  noise  they 
made  was  perfectly  deafening. 

I  kept  along  the  right  bank  of  the  Cnando  for  a 
couple  of  hours,  and  then,  at  the  direction  of  the 
guides,  crossed  over  to  the  left,  by  a  bridge  which  we 
improvised  out  of  the  trunks  of  trees. 

The  river  measured  there  between  6  and  7  feet  wide, 
and  about  the  same  in  depth,  with  an  excessively  rapid 
current. 

I  was  just  crossing  the  river,  when  I  observed  a 
herd  of  gnus,  at  which,  however,  I  could  not  get 
a  shot. 

I  encamped  beside  the  river.  The  banks  of  the 
Cnando  are  mountainous,  and  from  its  source  to  that 
point  they  are  flanked  by  marshy  ground,  some  30  to 
40  yards  wide,  yielding  abundance  of  water,  which 
drains  into  the  river. 

This  peculiarity  is  noticeable  with  almost  all  the 
rivers  of  those  regions,  which  thus  receive  enormous 
quantities  of  water,  so  that,  even  without  any  subsidiary 
streams,  they  become  navigable  at  only  a  few  miles' 
distance  from  their  unpretending  sources. 


AMONG  THE  GANGUELLAS. 


287 


I  observed  on  the  right  bank  of  the  river,  both  at 
that  spot  and  others,  several  vertical  stratifications  of 
a  red,  white,  and  azure  colour. 

The  next  morning,  at  8,  I  was  again  on  the  move, 
and  tramped  on  till  noon,  camping  at  that  hour  near  a 
brook  which  ran  into  the  Cuando. 


Fig.  58. — The  Cuchibi. 


I  had  some  of  the  men  on  the  sick-list,  a  few  suffering 
with  goitre,  and  others  with  inflammation  of  the  legs. 

Happily,  for  their  sake,  the  loads  of  provisions  had 
sensibly  diminished,  and  I  had  now  carriers  to  spare. 
The  marshy  banks  of  the  Cuando  abounded  in  leeches, 
and  I  had  a  lot  of  them  caught  to  apply  to  such  of  my 
patients  as  stood  in  need  of  their  assistance. 

The  woods  I  had  passed  through,  and  the  one  where 
I  was  now  encamped,  were  almost  exclusively  composed 


288 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


of  enormous  trees,  which  the  Bihenos  styled  Cuchibi, 
and  that  turned  out  most  serviceable  to  my  half- 
famished  caravan.  They  produced  a  fruit  not  unlike  a 
French  bean,  having  one  bright  scarlet  seed  enclosed 
in  the  dark-green  husk.  After  a  lengthened  decoction, 
the  scarlet  envelope  separates  from  the  white  sheaths 
and  forms  the  edible  portion  of  the  fruit.  These  seeds 
are  very  oleaginous,  and   both  the  Ambuellas  and 


Fig.  59. — Leaf  and  Fruit  of  the  Cuchibi. 
(Natural  size.) 


Luchazes  extract  from  them  the  oil  with  which  they 
moisten  their  food. 

This  fruit  is  undoubtedly  a  great  resource  to  the 
hungry  traveller,  but  it  is  of  no  use  to  the  hurried  one, 
as  the  decoction  is  a  work  of  time. 

There  is  also  another  fruit  in  these  parts,  and  which 
is  exceedingly  common.  The  Bihenos  call  it  Mapole.  It 
is  the  product  of  a  tree  of  medium  size,  the  Mapoleque, 


AMONG  THE  GANG  UELLAS. 


289 


and  resembles  an  orange  both  in  colour  and  dimensions. 
It  hangs  vertically  from  the  branches  of  the  tree, 
suspended  from  a  longish  stalk.  The  outer  rind  and 
its  lining,  closely  adhering  to  each  other,  form  a  husk 
about  an  eighth  of  an  inch  in  thickness,  and  hard  as 
horn.    It  can  only  be  broken  with  a  strong  hatchet. 


Fig.  60. — The  Mapole,  Tree  and  Leap. 


When  opened,  it  displays  a  thick  and  coagulated 
liquid,  full  of  seeds  similar  in  size  and  appearance  to 
the  stones  of  small  plums. 

This  liquid,  of  an  acid-sweet  taste,  taken  in  any 
quantity,  is  very  purgative ;  but  the  Bihenos  assured 
me  that  it  was  most  nutritive,  and  would  support  a  man 

VOL.  I.  U 


290 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


for  a  day  or  two  easily  enough.  I  did  not  myself  put 
it  to  a  personal  test. 

The  next  day  I  left  the  river  Cuando,  which  already 
at  that  spot  inclines  to  the  S.S.E.,  and,  in  obedience  to 
the  orders  of  the  guides,  travelled  eastward  in  search 
of  the  sources  of  the  Cubangui,  a  river  which  they 
asserted  to  be  very  large. 

After  an  hour's  march,  I  passed  a  brook  running  to 
the  south,  through  marshy  land,  a  hundred  yards  or  so 
in  width,  which  it  cost  some  labour  to  traverse.  Four 
miles  further  on  I  came  upon  another  large  brook, 
running  parallel  to  the  previous  one. 

Between  the  beds  of  these  brooks,  as  well  as  between 
those  of  the  affluents  of  the  Cuando  to  the  eastward, 
is  a  chain  of  mountains  lying  north  and  south.  These 
mountains  belong  to  a  more  important  system,  which 
to  the  north  lies  east  and  west,  and  terminates  in  the 
valley  of  the  Lungo-e'-ungo. 

At  about  half-past  III  arrived  at  the  summit  of 
the  Serra,  whence  the  guides  pointed  out  to  me,  in  the 
far  distance,  the  sources  of  the  river  Cubangui.  I  could 
define  them  perfectly  to  the  eastward,  but  as  I  could 
not,  immediately  on  my  arrival,  determine  the  latitude, 
I  took  a  rest,  and  at  noon  fixed  the  latitude  of  the  point 
where  I  stood,  which  was  the  same  as  that  of  the 
sources  of  the  river  ;  the  two  lying  due  east  and  wrest 
of  each  other. 

At  2  in  the  afternoon  I  camped  hard  by  the  sources 
themselves,  and  found  them  to  be  similar  in  character 
to  those  of  the  Cuando.  The  axis  of  the  marsh  in 
which  the  river  takes  its  rise  lies  north  and  south,  and 
extends  three-quarters  of  a  mile  in  length  ;  the  width 
varying  from  80  to  100  yards. 

No  game  was  visible,  but  many  traces  of  it  appeared, 
and  during  the  night  the  lions  all  about  the  camp  kept 
up  a  horrible  concert. 


AMONG  THE  GANG  U ELL  AS. 


291 


Our  last  rations  were  here  served  out,  and  hunger 
again  stared  us  in  the  face.  » 

The  guides  averred  we  were  at  no  great  distance 
from  the  villages,  but  it  would  take  us  at  least  a  couple 
of  days  to  reach  them,  owing  to  our  numerous  invalids, 
and  more  especially  a  pombeiro  of  the  name  of 
Canhengo,  who  was  very  ill ;  forced  marches,  under 
the  circumstances,  were  therefore  out  of  the  question. 

I  felt  excessively  anxious,  my  great  fear  being  that 


Fig.  61. — Mapole,  Fruit  and  arrangement  of  the  Branches. 

hunger  and  fatigue  would  so  aggravate  the  condition 
of  the  sick  as  to  prevent  me  obtaining  the  requisite 
resources  for  us  all,  in  time  to  be  of  any  use. 

On  the  following  day,  in  spite  of  all  my  efforts,  I 
could  not  keep  up  the  march  of  the  caravan  over  four 
hours,  and  was  compelled  to  camp  alongside  the 
Cubangui,  which  river,  in  fact,  I  had  not  left  from  the 
time  of  making  its  source.  At  the  place  where  I  came 
to  a  halt  it  was  already  3  yards  wide,  and  between 
3  and  4  feet  deep. 

u2 


292 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


A  gnu  which  I  shot,  and  a  little  honey  which  the 
negroes  gathered  in  the  forest,  furnished  our  only 
rations  for  that  day. 

Next  morning  I  went  on  again,  following  the  right 
hank  of  the  stream,  and  after  another  4  hours'  march 
camped  heside  the  Linde  rivulet,  opposite  three 
Amhuella  villages.  I  at  once  despatched  messengers, 
not  only  to  those  places,  but  to  others  lying  on  the 
same  side  of  the  river  as  ourselves,  hut  all  we  obtained 
was  a  scanty  supply  of  massango.  We,  however, 
received  the  information  that  another  day's  march 
would  bring  us  to  the  lands  of  the  Sova,  and  that  from 
the  latter  we  could  obtain  provisions. 

I  found  by  measurement  that  the  Cubangui's  dimen- 
sions were  increasing  apace.  Here,  at  the  confluence 
of  the  Linde,  it  was  upwards  of  5  yards  across,  and 
was  9  feet  deep. 

My  invalids  improved  very  slowly,  which  could  not 
be  attributed  to  want  of  strict  diet.  They  must  have 
suffered  too  not  a  little  from  actual  fatigue,  as  it  took 
6  hours  next  day  to  reach  the  Sova's  village,  Cangamba. 
I  forthwith  despatched  a  present  to  the  great  man,  in 
the  shape  of  an  old  uniform  of  an  infantry  captain,  with 
which  he  was  delighted,  and  gave  prompt  orders  to  his 
people  to  supply  me  with  food.  We  obtained,  in  ex- 
change for  beads,  some  of  that  eternal — I  had  almost 
said  cursed — massango,  from  which  there  appeared  now 
to  be  no  escape. 

I  discharged  my  guides  and  the  12  Luchazes  who 
had  accompanied  me  thus  far,  and  who  took  their  leave 
well  satisfied  with  what  I  gave  them. 

They  fraternised  easily  with  the  inhabitants  of  the 
Ambuella  villages,  which  are  in  fact  partly  peopled  by 
Luchaze  natives.  Of  this  I  had  a  clear  proof  a  day  or 
so  after  my  arrival,  when  several  Luchaze  families, 
who  had  emigrated  from  their  own  country  to  establish 


AMONG  THE  GANG  UELLAS. 


293 


themselves  in  this  district,  pitched  their  camp  within  a 
stone's  throw  of  mine. 

I  saw  and  conversed  also  with  a  band  of  hunters  who 
were  travelling  southwards  in  search  of  elephants.  It 
was  the  first  time  I  had  heard  speak  of  elephants,  as  not 
one  is  to  be  found  throughout  the  country  1  traversed 


Fig.  62. — Moene-Cahenga,  Sova  of  Cangamba. 
1.  Fly-flap. 


from  Benguella  to  the  Cubangui,  nor  did  I  come  upon 
any  old  trace  of  them.  Their  haunts  were  even  at  a 
considerable  distance  from  the  spot  where  we  stood,  as 
the  hunters  informed  me  they  had  still  6  days'  inarch 
before  them  ere  they  could  hope  to  fall  in  with  the 
desired  game. 

A  couple  of  days  after  my  arrival,  1  received  a  visit 


294 


TEE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


from  the  Sova  of  Cangamba,  by  name  Moene  Cahenga, 
who  brought  with  him  as  a  present  four  chickens  and 
a  large  baske'tful  of  massango. 

He  was  wearing  the  uniform  I  sent  him,  to  which  he 
had  added  a  belt  hung  round  with  leopard-skins.  He 
carried  in  his  hand  an  instrument  formed  of  antelopes' 
tails,  with  which  he  kept  off  the  flies. 

Field  operations  in  the  country  appeared  to  be  carried 
on  by  both  men  and  women,  who  cultivate  in  small  plots 
massango,  cotton,  a  little  manioc  and,  in  even  less 
quantity,  sweet  potatoes. 


Fig,  63. — (Chimtjisnzengue.)    Hatchet  of  the  Ambltellas  of 
Cangamba. 

The  natives  work  a  good  deal  in  iron,  which  they 
extract  from  the  mines  situated  on  the  right  bank  of 
the  river,  to  the  north  of  Cangamba,  and  which  we  had 
passed  on  our  way  thither. 

In  Cangamba  they  reverse  the  practice  common 
among  the  other  Ganguella  natives,  as  in  that  village 
the  men  make  the  baskets  and  the  women  the  mats. 

They  weave  the  cotton  they  grow  in  rude  looms, 
and  produce  cloths  about  the  size  of  an  ordinary 
towel,  and  very  good  they  are. 

Among  the  articles  offered  for  sale  was  a  little 
tobacco,  which  they  asserted  to  have  been  cultivated  in 


AMONG  THE  GANG  TJ ELLAS. 


295 


the  country,  but  I  did  not  see  any  growing  in  the 
plantations  I  visited. 

Their  arms  consist  of  bows  and  arrows,  and  small 
hatchets. 

The  Cubangui,  as  it  flows  near  Cangamba,  is  16  yards 
wide  and  19  feet  deep,  with  a  current  running  at  the 
rate  of  13  yards  a  minute. 

The  natives  told  me  it  contained  plenty  of  fish, 
which  I  afterwards  found  to  be  the  case  ;  but  all  I  saw 
in  the  neighbourhood  were  dried,  and  measured  from 
16  to  20  inches  in  length. 

One  soon  learns  to  be  thankful  for  small  mercies, 
and  manioc  and   dried  fish  appeared   in  our  eyes 


Fig.  64. — Ambuella  Pipe. 


material  for  a  luxurious  banquet,  after  being  so  long 
condemned  to  that  abominable  massango ! 

The  river  Cubangui  is  no  exception  to  the  general 
law  of  the  streams  on  the  African  continent,  being 
tolerably  rich  in  crocodiles.  They  do  not  seem, 
however,  to  be  of  a  very  voracious  kind,  if  I  can 
believe  the  Ambuellas,  who  assured  me  there  had 
been  no  instance  of  a  human  being  falling  a  victim  to 
their  huge  jaws. 

I  paid  a  farewell  visit  to  the  Sova,  who  was  not  by 
any  means  a  bad  fellow.  As  his  people  no  longer 
offered  for  sale  anything  but  massango,  I  begged  him 
to  favour  me  with  some  manioc  and  sweet  potatoes. 


296 


THE  KINO'S  BIFLE. 


He  did  so  with  a  good  grace,  but  the  quantity  was 
very  small  ;  and,  as  he  gave  it  me,  he  apologised  for 
the  scanty  supply  upon  the  unanswerable  plea  that  he 
had  no  more. 

And  so  matters  stood  for  three  more  days !  Three 
drtys  wherein  we  regaled  upon  massango  ! 

Having  obtained  guides,  a  few  carriers  and  a  good 
store  of  the  despised  food,  I  decided  upon  making  a 
fresh  start  on  the  22nd  July  in  the  direction  of  the 
villages  under  the  sway  of  the  Sova  Cahu-heu-iie  on  the 
river  Cuchibi,  through  which  runs  the  road  originally 
traversed  by  Silva  Porto.  The  former  part  of  that 
track  I  abandoned  at  the  Cuanza,  to  pursue  a  more 
northerly  direction. 

My  guides  informed  me  that  I  should  have  to 
travel  through  a  desert  country  for  8  whole  days,  and 
that  I  must  consequently  be  well  provided  with  pro- 
visions. My  invalids  had,  by  this  time,  considerably 
improved  with  the  long  rest  and  more  abundant 
food ;  but  they  were  far  from  being  recovered,  so  that 
Moene-Cahenga  supplied  me  with  10  men  to  assist 
in  the  carriage  of  the  massango  with  which  he  fur- 
nished me. 

The  guides  having  assured  me  that  for  a  couple  of 
days  we  should  have  to  stick  to  the  rivers  bank,  I 
took  it  into  my  head  to  descend  the  stream  in  my 
india-rubber  boat.  Having  ordered  it  to  be  conveyed 
to  the  river,  I  broke  up  my  camp,  and,  entrusting  the 
command  of  the  caravan  to  Yerissimo,  I  embarked 
with  two  young  niggers,  my  attendant  Catraio  and 
another  little  fellow,  about  12  years  of  age,  called 
Sinjamba,  the  son  of  a  Biheno  carrier,  whom  I  had 
selected  for  his  knowledge  of  the  Ganguella  tongue, 
and  converted  into  my  interpreter. 

I  confess  that  it  was  not  without  a  certain  trepida- 
tion that  I  pushed  off  from  the  bank  into  the  middle  of 


AMONG  THE  GANG  UELLAS. 


297 


an  unknown  stream,  with  mere  children  for  com- 
panions and  a  fragile  canvas  boat  beneath  me. 

The  river,  which  has  its  source  30  miles  to  the 
N.,  and  is,  as  I  have  already  mentioned,  16  yards 
across  and  19  feet  deep  at  Cangamba,  widens  out 
a  little  below  that  village,  and  shortly  displays  a 
breadth  of  40  to  50  yards,  and  occasionally  even  more. 

Its  bottom,  varying  from  10  to  19  feet  ia  depth, 
is  covered  with  a  fine  white  sand,  which  evidently 
rests  upon  a  bed  of  mud,  as  the  aquatic  flora  is  some- 
thing wonderful. 

Many  kinds  of  rushes  and  other  aquatic  plants  take 
root  in  the  prolific  bed,  shoot  their  leaves  and  stems, 
in  constant  motion  with  the  current,  through  nearly 
20  feet  of  water  till  they  reach  the  surface,  where  they 
display  their  multi-coloured  and  elegantly  shaped 
flowers.  Ocasionally  this  wealth  of  vegetation  will 
occupy  the  whole  expanse  of  the  river,  and  seem  to 
bar  the  passage  of  any  floating  thing.  At  the  outset 
I  had  some  hesitation  about  venturing  my  boat  upon 
this  aquatic  meadow,  as  I  thought  it  betokened  too 
shallow  a  depth  of  water  for  navigation  ;  but  when 
my  sound  constantly  gave  me  12  and  then  20  feet  of 
depth,  I  acquired  more  confidence,  and  steered  boldly 
through  the  floating  garden. 

There  were  points,  indeed,  where  we  came  to  a  dead- 
lock. These  were  places  where  the  current,  owing  to 
some  peculiarity  of  the  river-bed,  was  scarcely  percep- 
tible, and  the  vegetation  was  so  thick  that  it  was  more 
like  a  virgin  forest  than  the  growth  of  aquatic  plants. 

I  saw  abundance  of  fish  darting  hither  and  thither 
through  the  watery  mass,  many  of  them  being  at  least 
a  couple  of  feet  in  length. 

Flocks  of  geese  fled  at  my  approach,  astonished, 
doubtless,  at  so  unseemly  an  interruption  as  the  visit  of 
such  a  monster  to  regions  hitherto  sacred. 


298 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


Thousands  of  birds  chirped  and  fluttered  among  the 
reeds  and  canes  which  lined  the  banks  ;  the  weight 
of  a  dozen  of  them  producing  scarce  an  impression  on 
the  gigantic  grass-stems. 

Occasionally  a  brilliant  kingfisher  would  be  seen 
hovering  motionless  in  the  air,  until  at  a  given  moment 
it  would  descend  from  its  lofty  observatory  like  an 
arrow  from  a  bow,  and  carry  off  its  glittering  prey 
from  the  surface  of  the  water. 

The  birds  were  not  the  sole  inhabitants  of  the  cluster- 
ing rushes  on  the  banks.  A  sudden  commotion  amid 
the  green  stems  would  attract  my  attention,  and  a 
rapid  glance  would  discover  a  crocodile  just  disappear- 
ing beneath  the  waters.  Or  the  splash  of  a  heavy  body 
in  the  stream  would  betray  the  presence  of  an  otter, 
either  alarmed  at  our  approach  or,  like  the  kingfisher, 
intent  upon  his  daily  meal.  The  whole  place  was 
instinct  with  life,  and  death,  as  usual,  was  following 
quickly  in  its  train. 

The  rirer,  whose  general  direction  is  north  and 
south,  winds  in  the  most  capricious  manner  ;  to  such  an 
extent,  indeed,  as  to  quadruple  the  journey.  The  right 
bank  is  a  vast  marsh  of  very  variable  width,  attaining 
in  some  places  to  a  thousand  yards.  It  yields,  iu 
drainage,  a  huge  volume  of  water,  which  produces  a 
perceptible  influence  upon  the  growth  of  the  stream. 

Some  three  miles  below  Cangamba  I  came  upon  a 
bevy  of  18  women,  who  were  standing  on  the  bank  and 
fishing  up  small  fry  by  means  of  osier-baskets. 

At  one  of  the  turns  of  the  river  T  perceived  three 
antelopes,  of  an  unknown  species,  at  least  to  me ;  but, 
just  as  I  was  in  the  act  of  letting  fly  at  them,  they 
leaped  into  the  water  and  disappeared  beneath  its 
surface. 

The  circumstance  caused  me  immense  surprise,  which 
was  increased  as  I  went  further  on,  as  I  occasionally 


Is 

■si 


AMONG  THE  OANO  UELLA  S. 


299 


came  across  several  of  these  creatures,  swimming  and 
then  rapidly  diving,  keeping  their  heads  under  water, 
so  that  only  the  tips  of  their  horns  were  visible. 

This  strange  animal,  which  I  afterwards  found  an 
opportunity  of  shooting  on  the  Cuchibi,  and  of  whose 
habits  I  had  by  that  time  acquired  some  knowledge,  is 
of  sufficient  interest  to  induce  me  for  a  moment  to 
suspend  my  narrative,  to  say  a  few  words  con- 
cerning it. 

It  bears  among  the  Bihenos  the  name  of  Quichobo, 
and  among  the  Ambuellas  that  of  Buzi.  Its  size,  when 
full  grown,  is  that  of  a  one-year-old  steer.  The  colour 
of  the  hair  is  dark  grey,  from  one  quarter  to  half  an 
inch  long,  and  extremely  smooth  ;  the  hair  is  shorter  on 
t Lie  head,  and  a  white  stripe  crosses  the  top  of  the 
nostrils.  The  length  of  the  horns  is  about  2  feet,  the 
section  at  the  base  being  semicircular,  with  an  almost 
rectilinear  chord.  This  section  is  retained  up  to  about 
three-fourths  of  their  height,  after  which  they  become 
almost  circular  to  the  tips.  The  mean  axis  of  the  horns 
is  straight,  and  they  form  a  slight  angle  between  them. 
They  are  twisted  around  the  axis  without  losing  their 
rectilinear  shape,  and  terminate  in  a  broad  spiral. 

The  feet  are  furnished  with  long  hoofs  similar  to 
those  of  a  sheep,  and  are  curved  at  the  points. 

This  arrangement  of  its  feet  and  its  sedentary  habits 
render  this  remarkable  ruminant  unfitted  for  run- 
ning. Its  life  is  therefore,  in  a  great  measure,  passed 
in  the  water,  it  never  straying  far  from  the  river-banks, 
on  to  which  it  crawls  for  pasture,  and  then  chiefly 
in  the  night-time.    It  sleeps  and  reposes  in  the  water. 

Its  diving  powers  are  equal,  if  not  superior,  to 
those  of  the  hippopotamus.  Daring  sleep  it  comes 
near  to  the  surface  of  the  water,  so  as  to  show  half  its 
horns  above  it. 

It  is  very  timid  by  nature,  and  plunges  to  the 


300 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


bottom  of  tlie  river  at  the  slightest  symptom  of 
danger. 

It  can  easily  be  captured  and  killed,  so  that  the 
natives  hunt  it  successfully,  turning  to  account  its 
magnificent  skin  and  feeding  off  its  carcass,  which  is, 
however,  but  poor  meat. 

Upon  leaving  the  water  for  pasture,  its  little  skill 
in  running  allows  the  natives  to  take  it  alive;  and  it  is 
not  dangerous,  even  at  bay,  like  most  of  the  antelope 
tribe.  The  female,  as  well  as  the  male,  is  furnished 
with  horns. 

There  are  many  points  of  contact  between  the  life  of 
this  strange  ruminant  and  that  of  the  hippopotamus, 
its  near  neighbour. 

The  rivers  Cubangui,  Cuchibi  and  the  upper  Cuando 
offer  a  refuge  to  thousands  of  Quichobos,  whilst  they 
do  not  appear  either  in  the  lower  Cuando  or  the 
Zambesi.  I  explain  this  fact  by  the  greater  ferocity 
of  the  crocodiles  in  the  Zambesi  and  lower  Cuando, 
which  would  make  short  work  of  so  defenceless  an 
animal  if  it  ventured  to  show  itself  in  their  waters. 

In  an  interview  which  I  had  at  Pretoria  with  a 
celebrated  antelope-hunter,  Mr.  Selous,  1  learned  that 
he  had  heard  my  antelope  spoken  of  by  the  natives  of 
the  upper  Cafucue,  a  stream  which,  it  appears,  con- 
tained an  animal  similar  to  the  one  I  had  met  with. 

I  regret  that  my  very  limited  knowledge  of  zoology 
did  not  permit  me  to  make  a  more  minute  study  of  a 
creature  which  I  deem  worthy  the  attention  of  men  of 
science  on  account  of  the  strangeness  of  its  habits. 

Resuming  my  narrative,  I  cannot  but  speak  in  the 
highest  terms  of  praise  of  my  mackintosh  boat,  which 
carried  me  so  bravely  over  the  waters  of  the  Cubangui. 
Its  only  drawback  was  its  restricted  size,  which  confined 
me  to  so  constrained  a  position  that  by  4  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon  every  joint  in  my  body  was  aching. 


AMONG  THE  OA  NO  UELLA  S. 


r>oi 


I  had  seen  no  signs  of  my  people  since  T  left  Can- 
gamba,  and,  at  the  hour  above  mentioned,  to  the  pain 
caused  by  my  cramped  posture  were  added  considerable 
anxiety  of  mind  and  undoubted  hunger  of  body.  My 
young  rowers  were  perfectly  exhausted  with  fatigue.  I 
made  them  pull  up  on  the  left  bank,  and  ordered  little 
Sinjamba  to  climb  to  the  top  of  a  tree  in  order  that  he 
might,  from  that  elevation,  see  whether  there  were 
any  signs  on  the  other  bank  of  the  smoke  of  the 
encampment. 

He  thought  that  he  perceived  smoke  in  a  N.W. 
direction,  and  consequently  higher  up  the  stream  than 
the  point  we  had  then  reached. 

We  therefore  retraced  our  course,  and,  after  some 
difficulty,  I  managed  to  get  ashore  upon  the  marsh  on 
the  right  bank,  and  threaded  my  way  towards  the 
spot  whence  the  smoke  appeared  to  proceed. 

I  had  walked  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile,  when  I 
came  upon  traces  of  my  caravan  towards  the  south. 
The  impressions  of  the  men's  footsteps  might  have 
misled  me,  but  there  was  no  mistaking  the  tracks  of 
my  goat  and  the  dogs. 

I  returned  to  the  boat,  and  again  steered  clown  the 
river.  From  time  to  time  we  pulled  up,  and  the  boy 
was  set  to  climb  a  tree  and  look  out.  but  the  operation 
was  repeated  in  vain. 

Evening  was  now  coming  on,  and  my  anxiety 
increased.  Not  only  were  we  all  desperately  hungry, 
but  I  did  not  like  sleeping  away  from  the  camp,  on 
account  of  my  chronometers,  which  would  not  be 
wound  up. 

The  sun  at  last  disappeared,  and,  as  twilight  is 
exceedingly  short  in  these  latitudes,  I  deemed  it  wiser 
to  go  ashore  ;  which  I  did,  with  the  two  young  niggers, 
on  the  left  bank  of  the  stream.  Before  we  had  settled 
ourselves  down,  I  fancied  I  heard  the  distant  report  of 


302 


THE  KINO'S  RIFLE. 


a  gun  to  the  S.W.  We  at  once  got  back  into  the 
boat,  and  pushed  on  vigorously  upon  hearing  another 
report,  to  which  I  replied. 

My  signal  was  immediately  answered  by  another, 
the  flash  of  which  I  saw  at  some  200  yards'  distance. 
I  steered  the  boat  in  that  direction,  and  shortly  came 
upon  my  henchman  Augusto,  who  was  up  to  his  waist 
in  water  in  the  marsh,  along  with  a  Biheno  who  had 
accompanied  him.  His  delight  at  seeing  me  was  very 
great,  and  he  and  his  companion  lost  no  time  in  pulling 
me  out  of  the  boat  and  conveying  me  across  the  marsh 
to  the  higher  ground. 

It  was  an  arduous  task,  which  it  took  half-an-hour 
to  accomplish,  but  we  reached  terra  flrma  at  last.  The 
lads,  having  secured  the  boat  to  some  canes,  quickly 
followed  us.  Augusto  informed  me  that  the  camp  was 
at  some  distance,  and  that  we  should  have  to  cross  a 
dense  forest  ere  we  reached  it. 

Unfortunately  the  night  was  pitch-dark,  and  loco- 
motion was  excessively  difficult,  owing  to  the  uneven- 
ness  of  the  ground  and  the  resistance  of  the  underwood. 

Stumbling  here,  falling  there,  covering  a  dozen 
yards  of  ground  in  about  as  many  minutes,  tearing 
one's  clothes,  and  one's  flesh  too,  with  the  thorns  of  the 
brambles  ;  such  are  the  incidents  which  accompany  a 
journey  by  night  through  a  virgin  forest. 

After  an  hour  of  violent  exercise,  we  heard,  with 
indescribable  pleasure,  the  report  of  rifles  and  the  buzz 
of  human  voices. 

They  came  from  my  own  people,  who  were  speedily 
gathered  round  us. 

Yerissimo  Goncalves  appeared  at  the  head  of  a  troop 
of  Bihenos,  who  insisted  upon  conveying  me  to  the 
camp  on  a  litter  which  they  improvised  with  stout  poles 
and  the  branches  of  trees. 

It  was  in  this  guise  that  I  returned  to  the  encamp- 


AMONG  THE  GANG UELLAS. 


303 


ment,  where  at  midnight,  beside  a  roaring  fire,  I 
appeased  my  hunger,  made  almost  ravenous  with  a 
36  hours'  fast. 

I  remained  in  this  spot  the  whole  of  the  next  day  ; 
but  on  the  following  one,  at  early  morning,  I  com- 
menced the  passage  of  the  river,  which  was  a  work 
of  time,  as  my  mackintosh  boat  was  the  only  floating 
thing  I  had  to.  trust  to. 

At  about  9,  I  set  out  with  my  people  along  the  left 
bank  of  the  river,  and  an  hour  afterwards  I  fell  in 
with  a  brook,  and  started  a  good  deal  of  game.  Con- 
tinuing on,  I  came  to  a  halt  at  1  o'clock,  pitching  my 
camp  close  to  another  little  stream  which,  like  the 
former  one,  is  a  tributary  of  the  Cubangui. 

While  here,  I  was  visited  by  two  Ambuellas,  who 
styled  themselves  "  wax-hunters,''  and  who  informed  my 
guides  that  it  would  be  highly  imprudent  to  proceed 
just  then  to  the  Cuchibi,  inasmuch  as  a  chief  of  one 
of  the  districts  we  should  have  to  pass  through  had 
recently  died,  and  that  we  should  run  the  risk  of 
being  fleeced  and  maltreated,  in  accordance  with  the 
customs  practised  on  such  occasions. 

The  guides  duly  communicated  this  sinister  intelli- 
gence to  me  ;  but,  as  I  had  resolved  to  go  on,  I  told  them 
I  should  do  so  in  spite  of  the  decease  of  all  the  Sovetas 
of  the  country.  In  proof  of  my  sincerity,  I  broke  up 
the  camp  next  day,  and,  after  a  somewhat  forced 
march  of  6  hours'  duration,  I  reached  the  right  bank 
of  the  river  Cuchibi. 

I  must  here  remark  that  several  of  my  followers 
were  on  the  sick-list,  suffering  from  a  malady  which, 
though  sufficiently  painful,  was  not  without  a  touch 
of  the  ridiculous.  Some  18  or  20  of  them  had  got  a 
goitre ! 


304 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


CHAPTER  YIII. 

THE  KING  OF  THE  AMBUELLAS'  DAUGHTERS. 

The  Cuchibi — The  Sova  Cahu-heu-ue — The  Mucassequeres—  Opudo  and 
Capeu — Abundance— Kindness  of  the  Aborigines — Peoples  and  Customs 
— A  Ford  of  the  Cuchibi — The  River  Chicului — Game — Wild  Animals 
— The  River  Chalongo — An  awful  day — The  Sources  of  the  Ninda — The 
Tomb  of  Luiz  Albino — The  Plain  of  the  Nhengo — Labour  and  Hunger — 
The  Zambesi  at  last ! 

It  was  the  25th  July  that  I  camped  on  the  right  bank 
of  the  river  Cuchibi. 

The  ground  lying  between  this  river  and  the  Cuban- 
gui  is  clothed  with  a  primeval  forest,  the  vegetation 
of  which  is  of  the  richest  nature. 

A  botanist  would  there  discover  a  vast  field  for 
lengthened  study,  so  great  is  the  variety  of  plants 
growing,  one  in  the  shadow  of  the  other,  in  that 
enormous  jungle. 

In  places  it  was  most  difficult  to  force  a  passage,  and 
again  and  again  the  hatchets  were  drawn  from  the 
stout  leather  belts,  to  cut  a  path  through  underwood 
which  had  never  probably  before  been  invaded  by  the 
presence  of  man. 

While  traversing  the  forest,  I  became  conscious  of  a 
most  delicious  and  delicate  odour,  which  I  found  to 
emanate  from  the  flower  of  a  tree  that  grew  abund- 
antly about  me.  There  is  not  perhaps  any  known 
flower  that  has  a  more  fragrant  perfume  than  the 
blossom  of  the  Oilco,  for  by  that  name  do  the  natives 
designate  the  plant. 


THE  KING  OF  THE  AMB UELLAS '  DAUGHTERS.  305 


The  configuration  of  the  tree,  the  arrangement  of 
its  leaves,  the  flowers  in  clusters,  and,  above  all,  my 
ignorance  of  botany,  induced  me  to  speak  of  it  in  my 
diary  as  an  acacia. 

Some  time  after  my  return  home,  the  apothecary  of 
my  village  called  upon  me,  and,  turning  over  one 
of  my  sketch-books,  he  came  upon  a  drawing  of  this 
particular  tree.  With  the  frankness  which  belongs  to  a 
villager,  he  observed  :  "  Your  Worship  has  committed 
a  great  blunder  here.   This  can't  be  the  flower  of  an 


Fig.  C6.— The  Ouco. 

Flower  ten  times  the  natural  size.    The  flowers  form  bunches  3  cent,  long  by  15mm* 
in  diameter.    White  petals,  brown  ovary  and  stamens;  delicious  perfume. 

acacia,  for  it  has  only  2  petals  and  3  stamens,  whilst 
the  blossom  of  the  acacia  has  5  petals  and  10 
stamens ;  it  therefore  belongs  to  the  Papilionaceous 
family,  and  comes  under  the  class  of  Leguminous  plants, 
as  I  will  show  you  presently,  from  the  pages  of 
Candolle.  .  .  "  "  Don't  trouble  yourself,"  I  said,  as  he 
was  about  to  run  off  for  his  authority ;  "  I  will  take 
your  word  for  it.  The  flower  is  correctly  represented, 
though  I  may  be  wrong  about  its  parentage." 

This  tree,  whose  delicious  flowers  many  a  lady  in 

VOL.  I.  X 


306 


TEE  KING'S  EIFLE. 


Europe  would  have  rejoiced  to  possess,  1  never  met 
with  before  reaching  this  particular  spot,  and  I  looked 
for  it  in  vain  as  I  approached  the  river  Ninda. 

There  was  another  tree  I  also  found  in  this  forest 
that  attracted  my  attention, — not,  however,  this  time 
on  account  of  the  scent  of  its  blossom,  but  the  delicate 
flavour  of  its  fruit, — and  which  the  natives  called 
Opumbulume.    The  fruit  is,  in  shape,  like  that  of  the 


Fig.  67. — The  Opumbulume. 


Mapoleque,  but  with  a  different  taste,  and  springs  from 
a  tree  of  a  very  dissimilar  kind. 

The  river  Cuchibi  presents  a  different  aspect  from  that 
of  the  other  affluents  of  the  Cuando,  at  least  up  to  the 
point  I  investigated  it.  It  flows  through  a  long  valley, 
enclosed  by  the  gentle  slopes  of  mountains  covered 
with  thick  wood.  This  valley  is  perfectly  dry.  and 
not  marshy,  like  almost  all  those  through  which  flow 
the  numerous  streams  of  South- Western  Africa,  and 


THE  KING  OF  THE  AMBUELLAS'  DAUGHTERS.  307 


which  occasionally  present  a  surface  of  water  6  miles 
in  breadth.  The  river  winds  along,  not  in  curves  of 
short  radius,  like  the  Cubangui,  but  in  a  long  undulated 
line,  so  that  at  a  distance  it  seems  almost  straight. 

Rich  and  abundant  grasses  cover  its  banks,  but  stop 
at  the  rather  steep  sides  which  enclose  the  river-bed, 
while  the  water,  of  the  clearest  crystal,  courses  along 
and  allows  the  white  sand  beneath  to  be  distinctly 
visible.  It  is  entirely  wanting  in  aquatic  flora,  so 
abundant  in  the  Cubangui,  although  its  fauna,  of  which 
I  shall  have  something  to  say  by  and  by,  is  by  no 
means  inferior. 

Game  was  not  wanting,  and  I  was  fortunate  enough 
to  bring  down  a  songue,  an  antelope  common  enough 
on  the  banks  of  the  Cuando  and  its  affluents. 

On  that  day  several  of  my  carriers  complained  to 
me  of  certain  tumours  which  had  broken  out  in  the 
joints  of  the  k'gs,  and  prevented  them  walking. 
Happily,  the  consumption  of  stores  left  a  few  of  my 
men  with  nothing  to  carry,  so  that  they  were  enabled 
to  relieve  the  sufferers  of  their  loads. 

Most  of  the  carriers  were  suffering  from  wounds  of 
the  ankle,  instep  and  tendo  Achillis,  which  there  were 
no  means  of  curing.  I  was  soon  at  the  end  of  my 
medical  science  borrowed  from  Chernoviz.  and  the 
same  was  the  case  with  Dr.  Chacaiornbe,  though  his 
medicaments  wTere  supported  by  the  most  potent 
charms  and  stupendous  arts  of  sorcery.  Nothing 
would  do  them  any  good. 

I  attributed  the  sores,  rightly  or  wrongly,  to  two 
causes,  viz.  the  constant  exercise  of  walking  and  the 
insufficiency  or  unwholesomeness  of  their  food.- 

Let  not  my  readers  imagine  that  I  am  about  to 
indulge  in  another  tirade  against  that  innocent 
massango.  Oh,  no !  I  am  far  too  loyal  an  enemy  to 
attack  that  pet  aversion  of  mine  during  its  absence : 

x  2 


308 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


I  leave  the  massango  alone,  with  the  remark  that  it  is 
in  itself  an  inoffensive,  and  may  be  even  a  good  and 
wholesome  diet, — for  those  who  take  to  it. 

The  food  to  which  I  refer,  and  to  whose  charge  I 
lay  in  great  part  the  fruitlessness  of  my  efforts  and 
those  of  Dr.  Chacaiombe,  is  a  very  different  one. 

I  have  already  had  occasion  to  mention  that  the 
Bihenos  will  eat  any  mortal  thing,  and  prefer  their 
meat,  when  they  can  get  it,  in  a  state  of  putrefaction. 

The  circumstance  which  I  am  about  to  record  will 


Fig.  68.— Eat. 

speak  volumes  upon  this  subject,  and  the  fact  that  it 
does  so  must  serve  as  my  excuse  for  the  somewhat 
disgusting  narration. 

My  favourite  hound,  Traviata,  had  a  litter  of  eight 
pups,  all  born  dead.  I  gave  orders  to  Augusto  to  bury 
them  secretly  in  as  inaccessible  a  place  as  possible,  so 
as  to  remove  them  out  of  the  way  of  the  voracious  jaws 
of  my  Bihenos  ;  but  two  of  those  in  the  rear  tracked 
out  their  burial-place,  dug  them  up,  and  incontinently 
feasted  upon  them. 

But  it  was  not  surprising  that  they  should  consider 


THE  KING  OF  THE  AMBUELLAS*  DAUGHTERS.  309 


young  pups  a  delicacy,  when  they  hunted  out  and 
devoured  termites  with  as  insatiable  an  appetite  as  an 
ant-eater,  gathering  them  as  they  ran,  and  cramming 
them  by  handfuls  into  their  mouths  ! 

Rats,  too,  were  a  favourite  food ;  one  kind  in  par- 
ticular, a  small  species  which  burrowed  in  the  bee-holes, 
and  doubtless  fed  on  the  honey,  being  highly  esteemed 
by  these  epicures  ! 

To  return  to  my  narrative.  The  part  of  the  river 
Cuchibi  where  I  was  encamped  was  entirely  unpopu- 
lated, and  the  guides  informed  me  that  it  would  take 
4  days'  march  to  arrive  at  human  habitations. 

Next  morning  we  recommenced  our  journey,  follow- 
ing the  downward  course  of  the  river  by  the  right 
bank. 

About  noon  I  discovered  that  many  of  my  people 
were  absent.  I  called  a  halt,  and  retraced  my  steps  to 
look  for  them,  when  I  found  several  of  the  fellows  in 
the  wood,  bartering  my  cartridges,  which  they  had 
stolen,  with  sundry  Ambuella  natives,  for  Quichobo 
flesh,  fish,  and  other  articles. 

On  finding  themselves  discovered,  they  took  to  their 
heels,  saving  two,  viz.  the  pombeiro  Chaquiconde 
and  Doctor  Chacaiombe,  whom  I  caught  in  the  act. 
The  latter  threw  himself  on  his  knees  and  prayed  for 
pardon  ;  but  not  so  Chaquiconde,  who  drew  his  hatchet 
and  made  a  movement  as  if  to  strike  me.  I  wrenched 
the  weapon  from  his  grasp,  and  gave  him  such  a  blow 
with  the  haft  of  it  on  the  head,  that  it  felled  him 
senseless  to  the  ground.  I  thought  I  had  killed  him : 
a  mishap  which  occasioned  my  mind  less  pain  than  the 
cause  which  led  to  it,  as  it  was  the  first  time  I  had 
experienced  positive  insubordination  from  one  of  my 
own  people.  I  turned  to  the  men,  who  had  now 
gathered  about  me,  and  ordered  them  to  carry  the 
wounded  man  into  camp,  which  they  at  once  did,  the 


310 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


sight  of  the  blood  oozing  from  a  rather  ugly  wound 
rendering  them  very  silent  and  submissive. 

On  an  examination  of  the  hurt,  I  felt  convinced 
that  it  was  not  mortal  ;  and  wounds  in  the  head,  if 
they  do  not  kill  at  once,  soon  heal  up.  I  did  what 
my  little  skill  dictated  on  behalf  of  the  foolish  fellow, 
and  then  called  a  council  of  the  other  pombeiros,  to 
decide  what  punishment  should  be  awarded  for  his 
double  crime.  The  majority  of  them  were  for  putting 
him  to  death,  the  rest  for  thrashing  him  within  an 
inch  of  his  life.  As  he  had  recovered  his  senses,  I 
ordered  him  to  be  brought  up  for  judgment,  and  having 
harangued  him  on  the  heinousness  of  his  offences, 
ordered  him  to  be  set  at  liberty,  with  an  injunction 
to  "  sin  no  more."  My  forbearance  produced  a  great 
effect,  though  at  first  the  fellows  had  a  difficulty  in 
believing  that  I  was  in  earnest. 

On  the  following  day  Ave  had  a  march  of  6  hours, 
still  along  the  right  bank  of  the  river. 

A  good  deal  of  game  was  visible  in  the  course  of 
the  journey,  but  it  was  very  wild,  and  the  only  animal 
killed  was  a  songue. 

This  elegant  creature  differs  considerably  from  the 
one  on  which  the  Bihenos  bestow  the  same  name 
between  the  coast  and  the  Bihe  country. 

The  one  I  shot  measured  4  feet  7  inches  to  the 
shoulder,  and  was  4  feet  5  inches  in  length  from  the 
shoulder  to  the  root  of  the  tail. 

Its  short  hair  was  of  a  reddish  yellow,  and  uniform 
in  tint.  I  found,  on  examination,  that  it  could  cover 
17^  feet  in  a  leap,  and  I  saw  several  of  them  go  over 
the  tops  of  canes  which  stood  t>  feet  out  of  the  ground. 

When  brought  to  bay,  it  will  fight  with  great 
courage  and  ferocity.  The  flesh  is  tasty  enough,  but, 
like  that  of  all  antelopes,  it  is  very  dry. 

It  feeds  in  herds,  and  always  in  the  open  ;  and  sets 


THE  KING  OF  THE  A  MB  UELLA  S '  DAUGHTERS.  311 


a  watch  while  grazing.  It  takes  to  the  forest  only 
when  it  is  closely  pursued,  on  which  occasions  it  will 
not  hesitate  to  swim  across  a  stream.  Beyond  the 
upper  reaches  of  the  river  Ninda  it  disappears 
altogether. 


Fig.  69.— The  Songue. 


Slot  of  the  Songue. 


Next  day  I  pursued  my  journey.  As  I  got  lower 
down  the  stream,  I  observed  that  the  level  ground  on 
each  side  kept  increasing  in  width,  and  that  the 
antelopes — the  songues  more  especially — abounded. 

Our  stores  of  provisions  had  again  run  dry,  and 


312 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


on  this  day  we  consumed  our  last  rations  of  mas- 
sango. 

It  was  on  the  29th  July,  after  a  march  of  3  hours, 
that  we  pitched  our  camp  opposite  the  village  of 
Cahu-heii-ue,  w^here  the  Sova  of  the  Cuchibi  has  his 
residence. 

Before  speaking  of  the  Ambuellas  tribe,  and  of  the 
rich  country  watered  by  the  Cuchibi,  I  wish  to  say  a 
few  words  about  my  mode  of  travelling,  or  rather  mode 
of  life  in  Africa. 

Undoubtedly  all  my  predecessors  have  had  their 
own  particular  system ;  those  that  come  after  me 
will  have  theirs,  and  each  will  think  his  own  the 
best.  My  custom,  therefore,  with  very  rare  exceptions, 
was  the  following.  I  rose  at  5  o'clock  ;  removed  my 
clothes  (as  I  always  slept  dressed  and  armed),  and 
took  a  bath  in  water  at  a  temperature  of  65°  Fahren- 
heit. 

The  English  are  accustomed  to  bathe  in  cold  water, 
which  is  a  capital  tonic ;  I,  for  my  part,  used  simply 
to  wash  for  the  purpose  of  cleanliness,  and  always 
had  an  iron  pot  with  hot  water  ready,  to  produce  the 
desired  temperature.  In  referring  to  this  subject,  I 
must  not  fail  to  speak  of  my  india-rubber  bath,  which 
came  from  the  firm  of  Mackintosh  of  London.  I  found 
it  a  perfect  treasure,  and  it  still,  after  long  and  rough 
usage,  is  in  capital  condition.  But  this  praise  is  due 
to  all  the  india-rubber  wares  produced  in  England. 

After  my  bath  came  my  toilet.  My  wash-basin 
was  formed  out  of  a  calabash,  18  inches  in  diameter. 
My  towels  were  of  the  finest  G-uimaraes  linen. 

The  brushes,  sponges,  soaps  and  perfumery  (I  used 
a  good  deal  of  the  latter  in  Africa)  were  of  the  very 
best  quality,  furnished  by  Charles  Godfroy,  whose 
goods,  though  very  dear,  are  all  excellent  of  their 
kind.    My  toilet  over,  in  which  I  was  assisted  by  my 


THE  KING  OF  THE  AMBUELLAS'  DAUGHTERS.  313 


body-servant  Catraio,  that  worthy  collected  and  put 
carefully  away  all  articles  that  had  been  used,  and 
then  brought  me  the  chronometers,  thermometers  and 
barometer. 

I  wound  up  and  compared  the  first,  and  registered 
the  indications  of  the  others. 

By  that  time,  young  Pepeca  had  got  tea  ready,  and 
brought  it  in. 

It  was  served  in  a  china  tea-service  to  which  I 
attached  the  very  highest  importance,  it  having  been 
the  gift  of  the  wife  of  Lieutenant  Eosa  in  Quillengues. 

Fiue  as  a  sheet  of  paper,  transparent  in  texture  and 
elegant  in  form,  that  tea-service  was  my  delight,  and 
I  t  ought  the  beverage  never  had  the  same  flavour 
taken  from  any  other  vessel  as  out  of  tnat  delicate 
porcelain  cup. 

Having  swallowed  three  cupfuls  of  green  tea  with- 
out sugar,  as  1  had  not  got  any,  the  traps  were  packed 
up,  and  I  gave  orders  to  start ;  which,  however,  we 
rarely  did  before  8  o'clock,  as  it  was  next  to  impossible 
to  get  the  men  away  from  the  fires,  round  which  they 
gathered  out  of  the  intense  cold. 

Our  order  of  march  was  the  following.  The  lead 
was  taken  by  Silva  Porto's  negro,  Cahinga,  bearing 
the  flag,  and  immediately  behind  him  came  the  cases 
containing  the  cartridges,  and  the  wood  and  ropes  for 
camp  use.  The  other  carriers  followed  indiscrimi- 
nately, in  single  file,  and  I,  Verissimo,  and  the  pom- 
beiros  brought  up  the  rear. 

If  a  carrier,  from  any  cause,  had  to  fall  out  and  lay 
down  his  load,  the  pombeiro  under  whose  charge  he 
was  stopped  also  to  assist  and  look  after  him. 

During  the  journey  I  noted  the  course  we  took,  and 
calculated  our  marches  by  the  pedometer  and  watch. 
Our  regular  marches  might  be  reckoned  at  from  8  to 
10  geographic  miles,  although,  when  circumstances 


314 


THE  KING'S  BIFLE. 


required  it,  they  were  much  longer.  Then  came 
camping-time,  and  for  the  next  hour  all  hands  were 
employed  in  constructing  huts. 

In  order  to  do  so,  some  of  the  men  were  set  to  felling 
timber,  others  to  lop  off  branches,  and  others  again  to 
gather  grass.  I  meanwhile,  if  I  had  nothing  else  to 
do,  stretched  myself  on  the  turf  and  slept,  or  at  least  tried 
to  do  so,  till  they  came  and  told  me  my  hut  was  ready. 

It  generally  took  about  an  hour  ;  but,  before  I  re- 
tired to  my  quarters,  I  used  to  take  my  observations 
for  the  meteorological  record,  which  was  regulated  at 
0  hr.  43  min.  of  Greenwich. 

To  learn  the  hour,  I  consulted  a  watch  which  Pereira 
de  Mello  had  sent  me  from  Benguella  to  the  Bihe  ;  it 
was  in  a  brass  case,  was  a  pure  cylinder,  of  Swiss  make 
with  8  rubies,  &c,  and  went  admirably. 

At  the  proper  time  I  called  Catraio,  who  brought  me 
the  instruments.  I  used  a  swing-thermometer  which 
had  been  the  property  of  the  ill-fated  Baron  de  Barth  ; 
and  each  time  I  moved  the  instrument  the  whole  of  the 
Biheno  carriers  would  stand  at  a  distance  watching 
the  operation  in  wonder,  and  though  it  was  regularly 
repeated  every  day,  they  always  did  the  same  thing, 
and  always  expressed  the  same  mute  surprise. 

The  observations  having  been  duly  registered,  the 
young  nigger,  Moero,  brought  in  the  plates  and  my 
ration  ;  for  I  cannot  dignify  with  the  name  of  dinner 
the  handful  of  massango,  boiled  in  wrater,  which  con- 
stituted the  repast. 

When  it  was  over,  if  I  were  too  tired  to  hunt  up 
game  or  scour  the  neighbourhood,  I  employed  my  time 
in  writing  up  my  diary  from  my  rough  notes,  in 
calculating  observations,  or  in  drawing.  The  ink 
which  I  used  for  all  my  work  was  obtained  from  small, 
so-called,  "  magic  "  ink-bottles,  each  of  which  lasted  me 
from  two  to  three  months. 


TEE  KING  OF  TEE  AMBUELLAS'  DAUGHTERS.  315 


This  system  of  taking  notes  during  the  marches  and 
in  the  daytime,  and  subsequently  transcribing  them  in 
the  diary,  gave  me  a  duplicate  record  of  my  proceedings, 
and  thus  allowed  me  the  chance  of  saving  one,  even  if 
the  other  were  lost.  The  daily  notes  were  written  in 
pencil,  in  little  note-books,  which,  when  full,  I  sealed 
up  with  wax.  Besides  the  transcript  of  actual  facts,  T 
recorded  in  these  little  books  all  the  initial  observations, 
both  astronomical  and  meteorological.  On  quitting 
Darban,  I  despatched  them  to  Portugal  via  England, 
and  they  all  arrived  safely  at  Lisbon.  They  still 
remain  there,  unopened,  whilst  the  copy  which  was 
made  up  from  them  remained  constantly  in  my  posses- 
sion, and  constitutes  the  basis  of  the  narrative  which  I 
am  now  composing. 

Until  this  journey  was  undertaken,  I  never  knew  the 
entire  value  of  time,  or  how  much  can  be  done  with  it, 
if  judiciously  employed. 

When  night  fell,  the  wood  crackled  on  the  temporary 
hearth,  and  gave  me  warmth  and  light.  If  I  had  no 
observations  to  make  during  the  hours  of  darkness,  or  if 
— as  was  often  the  case — my  fatigue  compelled  me  to 
seek  rest,  I  would  lie  down  on  the  leopard-skins  which 
formed  my  bed,  using  as  a  pillow  the  little  valise  in 
which  I  kept  my  papers. 

A  habit  which  I  acquired  during  the  journey, 
springing  probably  in  the  first  instance  from  the  cold 
which  always  preceded  daybreak,  was  to  wake  regu- 
larly at  3  o'clock.  I  then  rose  and  replenished  the 
expiring  fire,  came  to  the  door  of  the  hut,  just  outside 
which  hung  a  thermometer,  and  noted  the  point  at 
which  the  mercury  stood,  for  at  that  hour  I  could 
obtain  a  pretty  correct  minimum.  I  had  not  got  with 
me  any  maximum  and  minimum  thermometer,  and 
therefore  the  figures  which  appear  under  these  heads  in 
my  records  are  only  approximate  ones ;  the  maximum 


316 


TEE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


temperature  being  that  recorded  at  1  hr.  30  min.  of 
my  register,  or  0  hr.  43  min.  Greenwich  time. 

From  3  a.m.  till  5,  my  time  was  passed  beside  the 
fire,  smoking ;  and  I  would  often  thus  consume  from 
10  to  12  cigars,  whilst  thinking  of  my  country  and 
the  dear  ones  I  had  left  behind  me. 

How  often  at  that  hour — my  time  for  meditation 
and  sad  reflections — did  I  not  cogitate  over  present 
troubles  and  the  uncertain  future  which  lay  before  me ! 

At  the  time  of  which  I  am  now  writing  I  was  on  the 
Ouchibi,  at  20  degrees  E.  of  Green wich  and  14^  to 
the  S.  of  the  Equator.  I  was  far  removed  from  all 
assistance  of  which  I  might  stand  in  need,  and  where 
was  I  to  seek  for  means  and  resources  to  pursue  my 
onward  journey  ? 

From  the  Bilie  to  that  point  I  possessed  the  few  bales 
of  cotton  of  which  I  made  use  ;  but  the  last  pieces 
were  now  before  me,  and  they  constituted  my  entire 
stock  of  money. 

In  all  the  villages  I  passed  through  I  met  with  more 
or  less  facility  in  bartering  cotton-stuff  for  food,  the 
zuarte,  printed  zuarte  and  white  being  most  preferred. 

On  very  rare  occasions  could  business  be  done  with 
the  striped  or  trade  cloth.  Cowries,  which  are  highly 
esteemed  among  the  Quimbandes  and  disregarded  by 
the  Luchazes,  recover  all  their  value  by  the  Cuchibi, 
although  in  the  latter  place  they  put  them  to  a  different 
use.  Instead  of  employing  them  for  the  adornment  of 
the  head,  they  convert  them  into  girdles,  upon  which 
they  bestow  extraordinary  care. 

The  Maria  II.  beads  have  great  value  everywhere ; 
but  on  the  Cuchibi  they  are  preferred  to  all  other 
articles,  powder  only  excepted. 

On  reaching  the  Cuchibi,  I  was  asked,  for  the  first 
time  during  my  journey,  for  copper  bracelets,  and  for 
wire  to  make  them. 


THE  KINO  OF  THE  AMBUELLAS'  DAUGHTERS.  3l7 


Immediately  after  my  encampment  was  completed,  a 
stranger  came  to  me,  stating  that  he  was  a  Biheno, 
and  had  been  left  behind,  on  account  of  sickness,  by  a 
caravan  three  years  before. 

Being  recognised  by  several  of  my  carriers,  I  en- 
gaged him  in  my  service. 

I  was  now  upon  the  track  of  the  Bine'  caravans,  and 
as  I  intended  remaining  there  a  few  days,  I  sent  a 
little  present  to  the  Sova,  and  a  message  informing  him 
of  my  determination. 

I  learned  from  the  stranger  Biheno  that  news 
had  come  of  a  revolution  in  the  Baroze  country,  the 
native  chief,  Manuauino,  having  been  expelled  and 
another  proclaimed  in  his  stead,  about  whom  little  or 
nothing  was  known. 

This  intelligence  was  anything  but  agreeable  to  me, 
for  I  had  heard  that,  though  Manuauino  was  ferocious 
and  sanguinary  with  his  own  people,  he  was  very 
hospitable  to  strangers. 

The  Ambuellas  among  whom  I  was  now  sojourning 
were  of  the  pure  Ambuella  race,  whilst  those  of  the 
Cubangui  are  a  good  deal  mixed  with  the  Luchazes. 

The  inhabitants  of  the  Cuchibi  are  at  enmity  with 
the  Ambuellas  of  the  west,  and  they  are  frequently 
engaged  in  internecine  war. 

The  Ambuella  race  occupy  the  whole  of  the  country 
watered  by  the  upper  Cuando,  and  are  collected  more 
especially  in  the  district  where  that  river  receives 
its  confluents,  the  Queimbo,  Cubangui,  Cuchibi  and 
Ohicului. 

The  villages  on  the  river  Cubangui  are  constructed 
either  on  the  islands  which  dot  the  stream  or  upon  piles 
driven  down  into  the  river.  As  the  inhabitants  are  the 
only  people  possessed  of  canoes,  they  repose  at  night 
in  their  aquatic  habitations  without  the  slightest  fear 
of  molestation. 


318 


THE  KING'S  EIFLE. 


The  Sova  lost  no  time  in  sending  me  provisions  and 
a  good  supply  of  maize.  AY  hat  a  treat  was  not  that 
dish  of  boiled  Indian  corn  !  I  saluted  it  with  reverence, 
moved  by  the  reflection  that  the  reign  of  massango 
was  for  the  moment  at  an  end  !  His  Majesty  further 
sent  me  word  that  he  would  pay  me  a  visit  next  day. 

Early  on  the  following  morning  I  turned  out  for  a 
stroll,  but  found  walking  difficult  on  account  of  the 
thorny  nature  of  the  underwood.    Still,  I  managed  to 


Fig.  70. — The  Sova  Cahu-heu-ue. 


get  about  3  miles  from  the  encampment,  when  I  came 
across  an  enormous  snare  for  catching  game. 

It  was  formed  of  a  lofty  hedge,  which  must  have 
been  a  mile  or  two  in  extent,  enclosing  a  nearly 
circular  space.  At  about  every  20  yards  there  was 
an  opening  in  the  fence,  which  led  into  smaller 
enclosures,  carefully  covered  by  a  strong  gin  or  urivi. 
A  band  of  men  being  assembled,  they  beat  the  wood  all 


TEE  KING  OF  TEE  AMBUELLAS'  DAUGETERS.  319 


round,  and  with  loud  cries  frightened  the  hares,  small 
antelopes  and  other  animals,  which,  in  their  efforts  to 
escape,  darted  into  the  enclosures  referred  to,  and  were 
caught  in  the  urivi  prepared  for  their  reception. 

On  my  way  back  to  the  huts  I  found  in  the  wood 
an  encampment  of  Mucassequeres,  which  gave  evi- 
dence of  being  only  recently  abandoned. 

The  Sova  called  on  me  in  due  course.  I  found  him 
a  man  somewhat  advanced  in  years,  of  a  sympathetic 
countenance,  and  rather  a  Jewish  profile.  He  was  ex- 
tremely well  dressed,  wearing,  over  a  sort  of  uniform, 
a  cloak  of  white  linen,  with  a  large  and  handsome 
kerchief  round  his  neck.  His  head  was  covered  with 
a  cap  of  red  and  black  list,  and  in  his  hand  he  carried 
a  concertina,  out  of  which  he  wrung  the  most  painful 
sounds. 

He  made  me  a  fresh  present  of  maize,  manioc,  beans 
and  fowls,  which  I  returned  in  the  shape  of  a  few 
charges  of  powder,  the  most  valuable  gift  that  could  be 
made  on  the  Cuchibi. 

The  old  chief  retired,  extremely  satisfied,  and  pro- 
mised shortly  to  return. 

In  the  course  of  our  conversation,  he  informed  me 
that  the  sovereigns  of  the  Baroze  were  accustomed  to 
demand  tribute  of  him,  and  that,  in  order  to  avoid 
war,  he  had  duly  paid  it,  thus  establishing  a  species  of 
vassalage ;  that  he  knew  little  or  nothing  of  the 
revolution  on  the  Zambesi,  and  less  of  the  new  poten- 
tate who  was  in  the  ascendant,  so  that  I  still  remained 
in  utter  ignorance  of  the  state  of  the  country  I  was 
about  to  enter. 

During  the  afternoon  my  negroes  captured  in  the 
forest  two  Mucassequeres,  whom  they  at  once  brought 
before  me. 

The  poor  savages  were  trembling  with  fear,  and 
gave  themselves  up  for  lost. 


320 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


They  knew  a  little  of  the  Ambuella  dialect,  and  by 
means  of  an  interpreter  we  were  able  to  understand 
each  other.  They  imagined  that  sentence  of  death 
was  about  to  be  passed  upon  them,  or  that,  at  the  least, 
the  rest  of  their  days  was  to  be  spent  in  slavery. 

I  desired  my  men  to  let  them  go,  and  return  them 
their  arms.  I  then  told  them  that  they  were  free,  and 
might  return  to  their  people,  and  I  gave  them  also  a 
few  strings  of  beads  for  their  wives. 

Their  surprise  knew  no  bounds,  and  they  had  much 
ado  to  believe  that  I  was  in  earnest  in  what  I  said  and 
did.  Having  ordered  them  something  to  eat,  I  inquired 
whether  they  would  take  me  to  see  their  camp. 

After  a  warm  discussion  between  them,  carried  on 
in  a  language  unknown  to  all  the  bystanders,  and 
completely  different  in  intonation  to  any  tongue  I  had 
hitherto  heard  spoken  in  Africa,  they  said  they  were 
quite  willing  to  conduct  me  to  their  tribe,  if  I  would 
trust  myself  to  go  alone.  I  accepted  the  offer,  and 
immediately  started  with  the  two  ill-favoured  abori- 
gines. 

Accustomed  as  I  was  to  the  forest,  I  had  much  ado  to 
keep  up  with  my  agile  guides,  who  more  than  once  had 
to  wait  for  me  to  join  them. 

An  hour's  fatiguing  walk  brought  us  to  a  patch  of 
cleared  ground,  in  the  middle  of  which  was  the  en- 
campment of  the  tribe. 

Its  inmates  were  three  other  men,  seven  women  and 
five  children. 

A  few  branches  of  trees,  bent  downwards,  with  others 
interlaced  in  front,  constituted  their  only  shelter. 

Of  cooking-appliances  there  was  not  a  semblance. 
Their  food  consisted  of  roots  and  fragments  of  flesh 
roasted  upon  wooden  spits.  Salt  is  quite  unknown  to 
them. 

Both  men  and  women  barely  cover  their  nakedness 


THE  KING  OF  THE  AMBUELLAS'  DAUGHTERS.  321 


with  small  monkey-skins.  Their  arms  are  bows  and 
arrows. 

I  had  come  among  them,  but  was  perfectly  at  a  loss 
how  to  act,  now  I  had  done  so,  for  we  neither  of  us 
could  understand  the  other. 

I  thought  the  best  thing  to  do  was  to  ingratiate  the 
women,  so  gave  them  a  few  strings  of  beads  I  had 
brought  with  me  for  the  purpose.  They  received 
them,  however,  without  the  slightest  sign  of  pleasure 
at  the  gift. 

I  was  touched  by  the  abject  misery  of  these  poor 
people.  I  examined  them  closely,  and  was  much  struck 
by  their  excessive  ugliness.  The  eyes  were  small,  and 
out  of  the  right  line ;  the  cheek-bones  very  far  apart 
and  high ;  the  nose  flat  to  the  face,  and  nostrils  dis- 
proportionately wide.  The  hair  was  crisp  and  woolly, 
growing  in  separate  patches,  and  thickest  on  the  top  of 
the  head. 

A  few  strips  of  the  skin  of  some  animal,  encircling 
their  wrists  and  ankles,  constituted  their  sole  ornament, 
and  these  were  perhaps  worn  rather  as  amulets  than 
for  the  purpose  of  adornment. 

I  managed  to  make  my  guides  understand  that  I 
wanted  to  return,  when,  without  leave-taking,  they 
preceded  me,  and  just  as  night  fell  left  me  at  the  edge 
of  the  wood,  where  I  could  hear  the  voices  and  merry 
songs  of  the  people  of  my  camp. 

During  my  stay  on  the  Cuchibi  I  managed  to  gather 
a  few  more  scraps  of  information  about  these  strange 
aborigines. 

The  Mucassequeres  occupy,  jointly  with  the  Ambu- 
ellas,  the  territory  lying  between  the  Cubango  and 
Cuando,  the  latter  dwelling  on  the  rivers  and  the 
former  in  the  forests ;  in  describing  the  two  tribes,  one 
may  say  that  the  latter  are  barbarians  and  the  former 
downright  savages. 

VOL.  I.  Y 


322 


TEE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


They  hold  but  little  communication  with  each  other, 
but,  on  the  other  hand,  they  do  not  break  out  into 
hostilities. 

When  pressed  by  hunger,  the  Mucassequeres  will 
come  over  to  the  Ambuellas  and  procure  food  by  the 
barter  of  ivory  and  wax. 

Each  tribe  would  seem  to  be  independent,  and  not 
recognise  any  common  chief.  If  they  do  not  fight  with 
their  neighbours,  they  nevertheless  quarrel  among 
themselves ;  and  the  prisoners  taken  in  these  conflicts 
are  sold  as  slaves  to  the  Ambuellas,  who  subsequently 
dispose  of  them  to  the  Bihe  caravans. 

The  Mucassequeres  may  be  styled  the  true  savages 
of  South  tropical  Africa,  They  construct  no  dwelling- 
houses  or  anything  in  the  likeness  of  them.  They  are 
born  under  the  shadow  of  a  forest-tree,  and  so  they  are 
content  to  die. 

They  despise  alike  the  rains  which  deluge  the  earth 
and  the  sun  which  burns  it ;  and  bear  the  rigours  of 
the  seasons  with  the  same  stoicism  as  the  wild  beasts. 

In  some  respects  they  would  seem  to  be  even  below 
the  wild  denizens  of  the  jungle,  for  the  lion  and  tiger 
have  at  least  a  cave  or  den  in  which  they  seek  shelter, 
whilst  the  Mucassequeres  have  neither. 

As  they  never  cultivate  the  ground,  implements  of 
agriculture  are  entirely  unknown  among  them;  roots, 
honey,  and  the  animals  caught  in  the  chase  constitute 
their  food,  and  each  tribe  devotes  its  entire  time  to 
hunting  for  roots,  honey  and  game. 

They  rarely  sleep  to-day  where  they  lay  down 
vesterclay.  The  arrow  is  their  only  weapon ;  but  so 
dexterous  are  they  in  its  use,  that  an  animal  sighted 
is  as  good  as  bagged.  Even  the  elephant  not  unfre- 
quently  falls  a  prey  to  these  dexterous  hunters,  whose 
arrows  find  every  vulnerable  point  in  his  otherwise 
impervious  hide. 


THE  KING  OF  TEE  AMBUELLAS'  DAUGHTERS.  323 


The  two  races  which  inhabit  this  country  are  as 
different  in  personal  appearance  as  they  are  in  habits. 

The  Ambuella,  for  instance,  is  a  black  of  the  type  of 
the  Caucasian  race  ;  the  Mucassequere  is  a  white  of  the 
type  of  the  Hottentot  race,  in  all  its  hideousness. 

Many  of  our  sailors,  browned  by  the  sun  and  beaten 
by  the  winds  of  many  a  storm,  are  darker  than  the 
Mucassequeres,  whose  complexion  besides  has  so  much 
of  dirty  yeHow  in  it  as  to  make  the  ugliness  more 
repulsive. 

I  regret  exceedingly  my  inability  to  obtain  more 
precise  data  concerning  this  curious  race,  which  I 
consider  to  be  worthy  the  special  attention  of  anthro- 
pologists and  ethnographers. 

In  my  opinion  this  branch  of  the  Ethiopic  race  may 
be  classified  in  the  group  of  the  Hottentot  division.  In 
form  it  possesses  many  of  the  characteristics  of  the 
latter,  and  we  may  observe  in  this  peculiar  race  a 
sensible  variation  in  the  colour  of  the  skin.  The 
Bushmen  to  the  south  of  the  Calaari  are  very  fair  of 
hue,  and  I  have  noticed  some  who  were  almost  white. 
They  are  low  of  stature  and  thin  of  body,  but  exhibit 
all  the  characteristics  of  the  Hottentot  type.  To  the 
north  of  that  same  desert  tract,  more  especially  about 
the  salt-lakes,  there  is  another  nomad  race,  that  of  the 
Massaruas,  strongly  built,  of  lofty  stature,  and  of  a  deep 
black,  who  possess  the  same  Hottentot  type,  and  who 
indubitably  belong  to  the  same  group.  I  was  told  on 
the  Cuchibi  that  between  the-  Cubango  and  the  Cuando, 
but  a  good  deal  to  the  south,  there  existed  another 
race,  in  every  respect  similar  to  the  Mucassequeres, 
both  in  type  and  habits,  but  of  a  deep  black  colour. 

In  consideration,  therefore,  of  the  affinity  of  character, 
I  have  no  hesitation  in  admitting  that  the  Hottentot 
group  of  the  Ethiopic  race  extends  to  the  N.  of  the 
Cape  as  far  as  the  country  lying  between  'the  Cubango 


324 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


and  the  Cuando,  passing  through  sundry  modifications 
of  colour  and  stature,  due  probably  to  the  conditions 
under  which  they  live,  to  altitude,  to  the  great  differ- 
ence of  latitude,  or  even  to  other  causes  that  are  less 
apparent. 

The  subdivisions  of  the  Ethiopic  race  in  tropical 
Africa  will  remain  for  a  long  time  but  indifferently 
known  in  Europe,  on  account  of  the  difficulty  of  collect- 
ing reliable  data  wherewith  to  complete  their  stud  v. 

Where  can  we  find  any  members  of  these  barbarous 
tribes  willing  to  allow  their  forms  to  be  moulded  ? 
And,  even  if  this  difficulty  could  be  overcome,  how 
could  the  anthropologist  convey  thither  materials  to 
form  his  moulds,  or  how,  if  taken,  could  he  convey  his 
moulds  to  the  coast  ?  How  could  he  manage  to  collect 
skeletons,  or  even  skulls,  in  countries  where  the  pro- 
fanation of  a  grave  might  lead  to  the  ruin  of  an  expedi- 
tion ?  How  could  he  conceal  from  his  own  caravan, 
from  the  very  carriers  in  his  service,  these  human  spoils, 
which  would  be  regarded  as  articles  of  witchcraft  ? 

Photography,  of  all  means  the  most  incomplete 
whereon  to  base  serious  studies,  presents  in  itself 
almost  insuperable  difficulties. 

In  the  first  place,  it  is  no  easy  matter  to  employ 
photography  on  a  journey  of  exploration.  Fancy,  for 
instance,  the  conveyance  of  an  apparatus,  with  its 
appliances  in  glass  bottles,  upon  the  head  of  a  carrier 
who  stumbles  and  falls  at  least  a  dozen  times  a  day  ! 
My  own  experience  will,  I  am  sure,  in  this  particular  be 
supported  by  that  of  Capello  and  Ivens. 

And,  even  supposing  that  that  difficulty  were  got 
over,  and  that  photography  could  be  effectively  em- 
ployed, where  is  the  native  of  the  interior  who  would 
allow  an  apparatus  to  be  set  up,  and  stand  before  it  as 
a  subject  for  the  camera  obscura  ? 

In  the  course  of  my  narrative  I  shall  have  occasion 


THE  KING  OF  THE  AMBUELLAS1  DAUGHTERS.  325 


to  relate  an  adventure  which  occurred  to  myself  and  a 
Swiss  photographer,  a  M.  Gross,  where  I  managed  to 
obtain  a  group  of  Betjuanos  who  were  in  a  semi-civilised 
condition,  after  an  expenditure  of  patience  and  time 
that  was  almost  incalculable. 

In  respect  of  the  Mucassequeres,  I  did  not  even 
succeed  in  making  a  satisfactory  sketch  with  pencil  and 
paper. 

But  to  return  to  our  narrative. 


Fig.  71. — Ambuella  Woman. 


When  my  Mucassequere  guides  left  me,  as  related, 
at  nightfall  at  the  edge  of  the  forest,  they  uttered  a 
few  words,  which  probably  meant  a  farewell,  and 
disappeared  in  the  darkness.  The  ruddy  state  of 
the  atmosphere,  due  to  the  numerous  camp-fires,  and 
the  sound  of  merry  voices,  guided  my  footsteps,  and 
shortly  after  I  found  myself  within  the  precincts  of 
the  encampment,  where,  to  the  notes  of  the  barbarous 


326 


TEE  KING'S  BIFLE. 


music  of  the  Ambuellas,  the  fellows  were  capering  like 
madmen. 

There  were  several  Ambuella  girls  who  were 
dancing  with  my  carriers,  and  the  bangles  on  their 
arms  and  wrists  made  a  tinkling  accompaniment  to 
their  motions. 

I  was  much  struck  with  the  type  of  many  of  these 
girls,  which  was  perfectly  European,  and  I  saw  several 


Fig.  72.— Opudo. 


whose  forms,  as  they  undulated  in  the  dance,  would 
have  raised  envy  in  the  hearts  of  many  European 
ladies,  whom  they  equalled  in  beauty  and  surpassed  in 
grace  of  motion. 

What  followed  was  calculated  to  increase  my 
surprise. 

It  would  appear  that  these  Ambuellas,  on  the  arrival 
in  the  country  of  a  caravan,  are  accustomed  to  flock 
into  the  camp,  to  sing  and  dance ;   and,  as  night 


THE  KING  OF  THE  A31BUELLAS'  DAUGHTERS.  327 


advances,  the  men  retire,  and  leave  their  women-folks 
behind  them.  It  is  their  hospitable  custom  thus  to 
furnish  the  stranger  wayfarers  with  a  few  hours  of 
female  society. 

On  the  following  morning,  at  daybreak,  the  visitors 
steal  away  to  their  villages,  and  rarely  fail  to  return 
to  bring  gifts  to  their  husbands  of  a  night. 

This  custom  led  to  an  extraordinary  adventure  which 
befell  myself. 

Moene  Cahu-heu-iie,  the  old  Sova,  sent  me  his  two 
daughters,  Opudo  and  Capeu. 

Opudo  was  about  20,  and  Cape'u  counted  some  1 6 
years. 

The  elder  was  a  plain  girl  enough,  and  was  won- 
derfully haughty  in  manner ;  but  the  other  was  an 
attractive  little  creatuiv,  with  a  smiling  and  agreeable 
countenance. 

From  the  moment  of  my  setting  foot  in  Africa  I  had 
determined  to  lead  an  austere  life,  a  practice  which 
gave  me  considerable  influence  over  my  negroes,  who, 
seeing  me  only  drink  water,  and  detecting  me  in 
no  aventure  gala?ite,  looked  upon  me  as  altogether  a 
superior  being. 

But  now,  notwithstanding  my  fixed  determination, 
I  was  called  upon  to  exercise  no  little  restraint  upon 
my  feelings  to  resist  the  temptations  of  the  younger 
daughter  of  the  Sova  Cahu-heu-ue. 

Capeu  only  spoke  the  Ganguella  dialect,  which  I  did 
not  understand,  but  Opudo  talked  Hambundo  fluently. 

"  Why  do  you  despise  us  ?  "  she  inquired  in  an 
imperious  tone.  "  Are  the  women  in  your  country 
more  lovely  and  loving  than  my  sister  ?  Any  way,  we 
intend  to  sleep  here ;  for  it  shall  never  be  said  that  the 
daughters  of  the  chief  of  the  Ambuellas  have  been 
thrust  out  of  his  tent  by  a  white  man." 

Here  was  a  ridiculous  position  for  a  man  to  be  placed 


328 


TEE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


in !  I  was  indeed  so  taken  aback  that  I  had  not  a  word 
to  say  for  myself. 

Of  course,  a  ready  reply  might  have  been  found,  but 
it  was  just  the  one  that  I  had  no  intention  to  give. 

There  sat  the  two  girls  upon  my  leopard-skins,  and 
there  stood  I.  The  large  fire  which  separated  us  cast 
over  the  interior  of  the  hut  a  ruddy  light,  somewhat 
subdued  and  softened  by  the  green  foliage  which  lined 
the  cabin  walls.    The  bright  flame  displayed  to  great 


Fig.  73— Capeu. 


advantage  the  undraped  figure  of  the  young  girl,  whose 
languishing  eyes  were  occasionally  fixed  upon  me  with 
an  expression  half-pouting,  half-beseeching.  My  own 
looks  wandered  away,  but  involuntarily  turned  again 
and  again  to  the  statuesque  and  graceful  figure. 

Without,  the  noisy  sounds  of  the  barbarous  music 
had  ceased ;  the  voices  were  more  subdued,  and  silence 
was  gradually  taking  the  place  of  the  previous  uproar. 

My  braves  were  evidently  selecting  their  companions 


THE  KING  OF  THE  AMBUELLAS'  DAUGHTERS.  329 


for  the  night ;  and  there  was  I,  still  shut  up  with  those 
irrepressible  girls. 

"  We  intend  to  remain  here,"  repeated  the  haughty 
Ambuella  princess.  "  I  don't  mean  to  expose  my 
sister  to  the  scorn  of  all  the  old  women  of  the  villages ; 
and  let  me  tell  you,  white  man,  that  if  you  are  a  chief 
of  the  White  King,  I  am  the  daughter  of  a  Sova." 

The  ridicule  of  my  position  increased;  I  was  com- 
pelled to  put  the  firmest  restraint  upon  myself,  and, 
conscious  that  if  I  looked  or  spoke  softly  I  was  lost,  I 
had  to  assume  a  severity  of  aspect  and  hardness  of 
behaviour  that  were  quite  foreign  to  my  character. 

Still,  things  could  not  remain  in  the  state  in  which 
they  were,  and  I  did  not  know  how  to  alter  them.  I 
would  have  preferred,  a  thousand  times  over,  risking  a 
conflict  with  the  warrior  father  to  continuing  this 
colloquy  with  the  amorous  little  daughter. 

Suddenly  the  skin  which  formed  the  door  of  my  hut 
was  raised,  and  some  one  entered. 

It  was  little  Mariana,  who  had  overheard  our  limited 
conversation  and  came  to  the  rescue. 

She  approached  the  fire,  which  she  mended  and 
replenished.  Then,  turning  to  the  Ambuellas  and 
repeatedly  clapping  her  hands,  as  is  the  customary 
mode  of  complimentary  salutation  in  the  country,  she 
uttered  the  words  Cb-que-tu  Co-qiie-tu,  and  added  :  44  The 
white  man  does  not  scorn  you ;  but  if  he  does  not  wish 
you  to  sleep  here  it  is  because  I  am  the  only  one  who 
does  so,  the  white  man  is  mine.  My  hut  is  alongside 
this  one,  and  you  are  quite  welcome  to  sleep  there." 

The  daughters  of  Sova  Cahu-heu  ue  at  once  rose  and 
left  with  Mariana,  to  whom  I  felt  myself  very  greatly 
indebted  for  getting  me  out  of  my  dilemma  ;  but  a  few 
moments  after,  Opudo  came  back  and  whispered  fiercely 
in  my  ear,  "  To-night  we  sleep  elsewhere,  but  my  sister 
does  not  mean  to  let  you  off." 


330 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


I  must  confess  it,  this  young  woman  inspired  me  with 
more  fear  than  the  wildest  of  wild  cats  could  occasion. 

I  lay  down  on  my  couch,  reflecting  upon  my  extra- 
ordinary adventure,  and  beginning  to  credit,  with  more 
sincerity  than  I  had  hitherto  done,  the  story  of  a  certain 
Joseph  who  left  his  garment  behind  him  in  Egypt. 

Next  day  the  chiefs  daughters  came  in  the  usual 
way,  to  bring  me  presents.  I  gave  them  a  few  beads  in 
return,  and  they  retired  without  alluding  to  the  scene 
of  the  previous  night. 

Shortly  afterwards  a  messenger  came  from  the  father, 
to  announce  that  he  expected  me  that  afternoon,  and 
that  he  would  send  a  boat  to  convey  me  to  his  village. 

Our  encampment  had  fresh  visitors,  in  the  shape 
of  some  cobras,  which  the  negroes  declared  to  be 
venomous,  and  several  black  scorpions,  from  4  to  4^ 
inches  in  length.  One  or  two  of  the  men  were 
bitten  by  these  disgusting  reptiles,  whose  poison, 
however,  pioduced  no  further  mischief  than  violent 
pain  and  swelling  of  the  parts  affected. 

The  Ambuellas  were  the  first  people  I  fell  in  with  on 
my  journey  who  did  not  conceal  their  plantations  in 
the  forest. 

Their  fields  under  cultivation  were  all  in  the  open, 
by  the  banks  of  the  stream,  and  to  this  cause  may  be 
attributed  their  reputation  as  husbandmen. 

The  inundations  which  occasionally  occur  leave 
deposits  on  the  land  of  the  richest  kind,  and  the  fields 
become  thereby  naturally  manured. 

Although  they  do  not,  so  to  speak,  irrigate  the  land 
— an  operation  which  I  never  saw  any  African  tribe 
practise — they  nevertheless  take  the  precaution,  as  I 
observed,  of  draining  the  ground  by  digging  deep 
trenches  beside  their  plantations. 

My  occupations  had  so  engaged  me  during  the  day 
that  it  was  not  till  evening  that  I  remembered  the  canoe 


THE  KING  OF  THE  AMBUELLAS'  DAUGHTERS.  331 


which  the  Sova  told  me  would  be  in  waiting  near  the 
river  to  convey  me  to  his  village. 

On  reaching  the  appointed  spot  my  surprise  was 
considerable  at  finding  the  frail  skiff  referred  to  manned 
by  Opudo  and  Capeu,  the  two  daughters  of  the  chief! 
I  do  not  consider  myself  a  man  of  a  particularly  timid 
nature,  but  the  sight  of  these  two  girls  caused  me  some 
alarm. 

This  was  no  time,  however,  for  indulging  in  such 
feelings,  so  I  stepped  into  the  canoe,  and  settling  myself 
down,  gave  the  signal  for  departure.  The  dexterity 
of  these  young  women  was  remarkable,  and  they  soon 
cleared  the  little  creek  or  canal  which  led  into  the  river. 

The  sun  was  fast  nearing  the  horizon.    The  canoe 


Fig.  74. — Cuchibi  Canoe  and  Paddle. 


sped  swiftly  through  the  open  spaces  left  by  the 
abundant  aquatic  vegetation,  which  displayed  upon  the 
surface  of  the  water  a  vast  wealth  of  beautiful  flowers. 
So  thick  were  the  clusters  of  Victoria-regias  and  many 
species  of  the  Nenuphar,  that  at  times  they  held  us  as 
in  a  net.  On  one  occasion  we  were  so  imprisoned 
that  I  fully  expected  an  upset,  and  in  imagination  saw 
those  dark-skinned  nymphs  and  myself  struggling  in 
the  water  among  the  crocodiles. 

No  such  mishap,  however,  occurred.  By  a  skilful 
manoeuvre  of  the  paddles  we  were  set  free,  and  Opudo 
then  found  her  tongue. 

"  It  is  too  late  now,"  she  said,  "  to  go  to  our  father's 
house.  We  waited  for  you  long.  We  will  return  by 
land,  and  you  shall  come  to-morrow." 


332 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


Shortly  after,  at  a  convenient  spot,  we  went  ashore, 
and  they  accompanied  me  to  the  camp. 

Night  fell,  and  found  the  Sova's  daughters  again 
within  my  hut,  conversing  on  indifferent  subjects, 
whilst  the  sounds  of  dancing  and  merriment  were 
heard  without. 

When  the  noise  attendant  on  these  festivities  had 
ceased,  they  lay  down  near  the 
entrance  of  the  hut,  beside  the 
brightly  burning  fire.  I  wanted 
them  to  take  up  their  quarters 
once  more  in  the  hut  of  little 
Mariana ;  but  Opudo  declined, 
saying  she  was  a  fawn  of  the 
forest,  and  little  cared  where  she 
took  her  rest. 

In  the  course  of  that  day 
Augusto,  who  had  been  scour- 
ing the  wood  for  game,  fell  in 
with  a  troop  of  small  monkeys, 
the  first  I  had  come  across  in 
my  journey  from  the  coast  west- 
ward. 

On  the  following  morning  I 
paid  my  visit  to  the  Sova ;  but, 
being  desirous  of  avoiding  further 
adventures,  I  got  out  my  india- 
rubber  boat,  and  proceeded  to 
the  village  in  that  conveyance. 
The  canal  I  traversed  communicated  with  an  arm  of 
the  river,  22  yards  wide  by  19  feet  deep,  with  a  rapid 
current  coursing  along  at  the  rate  of  54  yards  per 
minute. 

The  river  divides,  forming  aits,  little  bays  and 
marshes,  which  are  the  beds  of  thick  and  lofty  canes. 
It  is  upon  these  small  islands,  themselves  intersected 


.  75. — Drum  used  at 
Ambuella  Feasts. 


THE  KING  OF  THE  AMBUELLAS'  DAUGHTERS.  333 


by  other  channels,  which  form  a  perfect  labyrinth, 
that  these  Ambuella  villages  are  planted,  springing 
from  a  marshy  soil,  on  the  level  of  the  river.  The 
houses  are  perfectly  imbedded  in  the  thick  tufts  of  cane. 
Their  walls  are  formed  of  reeds ;  their  foundations  are 
stakes  driven  into  the  muddy  ground,  and  the  roofs  are 
composed  of  thatch. 

.As  may  readily  be  imagined,  they  are  wretched 
habitations,' badly  constructed,  and  affording  little  effec- 
tive shelter.  Outside  the  doors,  suspended  from  large 
poles,  are  immense  calabashes,  in  which  the  inhabi- 
tants preserve  their  wax  and  other  articles. 

The  huts  themselves  are  filled  with  calabashes. 
Indeed,  among  the  Ambuellas  these  useful  vegetables 
perform  the  office  of  trunks,  cupboards,  and  other 
household  receptacles. 

The  store-bouses  only  differ  from  the  dwelling-houses 
in  being  raised  upon  stakes  a  couple  of  yards  high, 
and  therefore  out  of  the  reach  of  the  inundations  of 
the  river. 

On  one  of  the  small  islands  above  referred  to  a  little 
group  of  buildings  constitutes  the  residence  of  the  Sova 
Moene  Cahu-heu-ue.  One  hut  is  occupied  by  himself, 
four  more  are  assigned  to  his  four  wives,  and  the  rest 
are  store-houses. 

I  observed  near  the  chief's  own  habitation  a  kind 
of  rustic  trophy,  composed  of  the  skulls  and  horns  of 
animals  and  other  spoils  of  the  chase. 

The  Sova  received  me  very  graciously,  he  having 
two  of  his  favourites  by  his  side. 

No  sooner  was  I  seated  than  my  interpreter  and  one 
of  the  favourites  commenced  vigorously  clapping  the 
palms  of  their  hands  together,  after  which,  scraping 
up  a  little  earth,  they  rubbed  it  on  the  breast,  and 
repeated  many  times,  in  a  rapid  way,  the  words  bamba 
and  calunga,  terminating   with  another   clapping  of 


334 


TEE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


hands,  not  quite  so  vigorous  as  before.  This  com- 
pleted the  ceremony  of  introduction. 

The  chief  expressed  a  wish  to  see  my  boat,  and  made 
a  little  excursion  in  it  upon  the  river.  His  wonder  at 
the  floating  power  of  this  portable  canoe  knew  no 
bounds ;  and  again  and  again  he  urged  upon  me  not  to 
sell  any  such  to  the  iVmbuellas  of  the  Cubangui,  for 
that,  if  I  did,  he  and  his  people  were  lost. 

I  pacified  him  on  this  head  by  the  assurance  that 
the  whites  did  not  wish  for  war  between  them,  and 
would  take  all  possible  care  not  to  furnish  them  with 
the  means  of  waging  it. 

On  our  return  to  his  island-home  he  sent  for  a 
calabash  of  bingundo  and  a  tin  cup,  together  with  a  pot 
of  Lisbon  marmalade,  left  there  by  some  Biheno  trader 
during  one  of  his  business  journeys. 

Having  filled  the  cup,  the  chief  allowed  some  drops 
of  the  foaming  liquid  to  fall  upon  the  ground,  and, 
covering  the  place  with  damp  earth,  he  drank  off  the 
contents  without  drawing  breath. 

The  interpreter  having  informed  him  that  I  only  drank 
water,  he  passed  the  calabash  round  to  his  favourites, 
who  lost  no  time  in  disposing  of  what  was  left  in  it. 

At  noon  I  took  my  leave,  and  returned  to  the 
encampment. 

I  passed  the  rest  of  the  day  with  a  petty  chief,  the 
brother  of  the  Sova,  who  informed  me  that  he  intended 
starting  for  the  Zambesi  by  way  of  the  Cuchibi  and 
Cuando. 

I  found  him  to  be  a  very  intelligent  fellow,  speaking 
Portuguese  pretty  fluently,  he  having  picked  up  the 
language  while  serving  as  a  soldier  in  Loanda,  to  which 
place  he  had  been  sent  as  a  slave  when  the  horrid 
traffic  was  in  the  ascendant.  He  was  a  great  hunter, 
and  had  frequently  scoured  the  banks  of  the  Cuando  as 
far  as  Linianti  during  his  sporting  excursions. 


THE  KING  OF  THE  AMBUELLAS'  DAUGHTERS.  335 


He  assured  me  that  the  Cuando  was  completely 
navigable,  that  it  was  without  rapids,  and  occasionally 
spread  over  so  wide  a  bed  as  to  present  but  little  depth. 
Its  aquatic  vegetation  was,  however,  so  abundant  and 
powerful  that  it  not  unfrequently  barred  the  passage 
of  any  boats,  and  made  navigation  a  matter  of  con- 
siderable difficulty. 

He  further  asserted,  and  I  had  afterwards  occasion 


Fig.  77. — The  Soya's  Brother. 


to  confirm  the  correctness  of  the  assertion,  that  the 
river  Cuando  bears  that  name  as  far  as  Linianti,  and 
thence  to  the  Zambe  either  Cuando  or  Linianti,  but 
never  Chobe  or  Tchobe,  as  designated  on  the  maps. 

The  Ambuella  race  continue  on  the  Cuando  the 
same  system  of  existence  as  they  practise  on  the  Cu- 
chibi,  and  the  little  islands  are  always  selected  for  the 
establishment  of  their  villages. 


336 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


On  the  banks  of  the  Cuehibi  the  preposterous  head- 
dresses, which  disappear  among  the  Quimbandes,  again 
become  visible.  Cowries,  too,  are  once  more  in  high 
esteem  among  the  people,  not  for  the  purpose  of  adorn- 
ing the  head,  but  for  the  enrichment  of  their  belts, 
which  appear  quite  studded  with  them. 

At  the  end  of  the  canal  where  I  embarked  on  my 
visit  to  the  Sova  I  observed  two  faggots  of  thick  sticks 
placed  vertically  at  a  few  yards'  distance  from  each 
other.  From  these  sticks  were  hanging  remnants  of 
rush-mats,  half-rotten  by  exposure  to  the  weather.  On 
inquiry,  I  learned  that  they  were  places  where  the  rite 
of  circumcision  was  practised  upon  male  children  of  6 
to  7  years  of  age,  who  were  subsequently  turned  adrift 
in  the  wood,  bereft  of  their  usual  garment  until  they 
were  completely  cured,  food  being  supplied  them  by 
those  who  had  undergone  the  operation  the  year  before. 
A  piece  of  matting  was  given  them  to  cover  their 
nakedness,  and,  on  being  re-admitted  to  their  village- 
homes,  they  left  their  mats  hanging  to  the  stakes 
where  the  operation  had  been  performed. 

I  was  also  shown  in  this  place  another  contrivance, 
of  a  very  curious  character. 

Upon  two  stout  pitch-forks,  sticking  half  a  yard  or 
so  out  of  the  ground,  was  laid  a  sort  of  club,  about  a 
yard  in  length  and  8  or  10  inches  in  diameter,  wrapped 
tightly  round  with  straw,  looking  for  all  the  world  like 
a  large  rolling-pin. 

This  notable  apparatus  was  the  work  of  a  medicine- 
man of  great  fame,  who  had  endowed  it  with  most 
extraordinary  virtues.  When  a  husband  had  reason  to 
suspect  his  wife  of  sterility,  he  sent  for  the  doctor,  who 
conducted  her  to  this  place  of  cure. 

While  muttering  sundry  cabalistic  words,  he  passed 
the  mysterious  rolling-pin  over  her  breast  and  sides, 
and  so  infallible  was  the  result,  as  the  Sova  assured  me, 


TEE  KING   OF  TEE  AMBUELLAS'  DAUGHTERS.  337 


that  nine  months  had  barely  elapsed  than  the  desired 
end  was  attained. 

Notwithstanding  the  deep  faith  reposed  by  the 
Ambuellas  in  this  system  of  putting  an  end  to  sterility, 
I  could  not  conscientiously  recommend  it  for  practice 
in  Europe. 

My  relations  with  the  aborigines  continued  to  be 
most  cordial  and  pleasant. 

The  Sova's  daughters  were  indefatigable  in  bringing 
me  presents,  and,  in  fact,  my  own  food  and  that  of  the 
young  niggers  about  my  person  was  supplied  entirely 
by  these  good  Samaritans. 

Anything  for  which  I  expressed  a  wish  was  at  once 
procured,  and  presumably  their  desire  was  to  make 
others  believe  that  closer  ties  than  those  of  platonic 
friendship  existed  between  us.  I  had  learned  by  this 
time  that  they  would  have  been  held  up  to  scorn  if 
suspected  of  being  repudiated  by  the  stranger  of  their 
choice,  and,  out  of  regard  for  their  feelings,  I  allowed 
them  to  have  their  own  way. 

We  consequently  lived  on,  the  best  friends  in  the 
world,  and  their  co-operation  was  really  of  the  highest 
importance  in  procuring  me  the  carriers  and  stores  of 
which  I  stood  in  need  for  traversing  a  vast  depopulated 
space,  where  provisions  would  be  simply  unattainable. 

By  their  exertions,  chiefly,  I  was  thus  enabled  to  get 
together  a  good  store  of  maize  and  a  certain  quantity 
of  beans. 

My  pecuniary  resources  were  drawing  to  an  end, 
and,  saving  a  quantity  of  powder  in  the  shape  of  car- 
tridges, a  few  beads,  and  a  little  copper  for  bangles,  I  had 
literally  nothing  left.  Two  of  my  carriers  were  bearers 
of  the  present  I  had  reserved  for  the  sovereign  of  the 
Baroze,  the  chief  article  being  a  small  organ,  having  a 
couple  of  automatic  dolls,  which  executed  a  dance  to 
the  sound  of  the  music.    This  was  a  universal  source 

TOL.  I.  Z 


388 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


of  amusement  to  the  aborigines.  Augusto  turned  it  to 
very  profitable  account,  and  many  an  egg  did  he  con- 
jure from  the  natives  by  the  exhibition  of  the  dancing 
figures.  I  was  amused  to  find  him  testing  his  eggs  by 
putting  them  into  water,  before  accepting  them  in  pay- 
ment of  the  show,  for,  owing  to  the  popularity  of  the 
entertainment,  the  eager  sight-seers  had  more  than  once 
endeavoured  to  palm  off  on  him  eggs  which  they  had 
surreptitiously  abstracted  from  beneath  a  sitting  hen  ! 

Moene  Cahu-heii-ue,  no  doubt  upon  the  recommen- 
dation of  his  daughters,  solved  every  difficulty  as  it 
arose,  and  actively  aided  me  in  my  preparations  for 
departure. 

The  daughters  themselves  had  resolved  to  accompany 
me  to  the  borders  of  their  father's  territory,  and  it  was 
Opudo  who  assumed  the  command  of  my  escort. 

Before  resuming  the  narrative  of  my  journey,  I 
deem  it  well  to  say  a  few  words  about  the  country 
of  the  Ambuellas  and  the  people  themselves,  whose 
hospitality  towards  me  had  been  so  remarkable. 

The  Ambuella  tongue  is  no  other  than  that  used  by 
the  Ganguellas,  and  which  is  heard  for  the  first  time  to 
the  east  of  the  river  Cuqueima. 

Like  the  Hambundo,  of  which  it  is  a  dialect,  it  is 
exceedingly  poor,  very  irregular  in  the  verbs,  and 
wanting  in  all  those  words  which  express  noble  and 
generous  sentiments. 

Can  it  be  that  these  people  are  so  unhappy  that  they 
do  not  feel  the  necessity  of  giving  utterance  to  such 
sentiments  in  words,  from  the  fact  of  their  being  foreign 
to  their  nature  ? 

I  tried  in  vain  to  discover  if  it  were  so,  but  I  should 
have  no  difficulty  in  believing  the  conjecture  a  true  one. 

In  this  country,  where  I  was  received  as  a  friend,  and 
was  therefore  unbiassed  by  any  influence  adverse  to 
the  African,  I  sought  in  vain  to  read  in  the  negro  soul 


THE  KING  OF  THE  AMBUELLAS'  DAUGHTERS.  339 


other  than  the  most  sordid  cupidity,  the  most  sensual 
appetites,  cowardice  in  presence  of  the  strong,  and 
tyranny  to  the  weak. 

Of  all  the  peoples  I  met  with  on  my  road,  the 
Ambuellas  were  the  greatest  and  most  successful 
cultivators  of  the  soil,  which  repays  with  wonderful 
prodigality  the  care  and  labour  bestowed  upon  it. 

Beans,  pumpkins,  sweet  potatoes,  ground-nuts,  the 
castor-oil  plant  and  cotton,  are  raised  among  enormous 
fields  of  maize  of  excellent  quality.  Manioc  is  like- 
wise grown  by  these  people,  but  I  was  able,  unfortu- 
nately, to  obtain  little,  owing  to  the  destruction  of  the 
crops  that  year  by  inundations  of  an  unusually  heavy 
character. 

Domestic  poultry  is  the  only  live-stock  possessed  by 
the  Ambuellas.  Their  mode  of  life,  constantly  dis- 
turbed by  apprehensions  of  attacks  from  their  neigh- 
bours, prevents  them  ever  becoming  herdsmen  or 
shepherds;  so  that  vast  tracts  of  land,  covered  with 
admirable  pasture,  upon  which  enormous  flocks  and 
herds  might  be  easily  raised,  are  totally  abandoned. 

Cattle  disappear  with  the  last  of  the  Quimbandes. 
Among  the  Luchazes  one  may  meet  occasionally  with 
a  few  goats,  and  still  fewer  swine,  whilst  pigs  abound 
in  the  Bihe  and  between  the  Bine'  and  the  West  Coast. 

Why  happens  it  that,  in  countries  covered  with  the 
richest  pasture,  unvisited  by  the  terrible  tzee-tzee  fly, 
and  having  all  the  requisite  conditions  for  the  breeding 
of  cattle,  no  cattle  whatsoever  should  be  found  ? 

An  answer  to  this  question  may  not  perhaps  be  far 
to  seek.  Cattle  constitute  the  greatest  wealth  of  the 
African  peoples,  and,  as  a  matter  of  course,  always 
excite  the  cupidity  of  their  neighbours  ;  in  fact,  as  I 
have  already  had  occasion  to  explain,  they  are  the  per- 
manent cause  of  the  wars  ever  waging  between  the 
tribes  residing  between  the  West  Coast  and  the  Bihe'. 

z  2 


340 


THE  KING'S  BIFLE. 


This  apprehension  of  being  rich,  and  of  being  in 
consequence  open  to  attack  and  robbery,  no  doubt  has 
its  weight  in  making  cattle  scarce  between  the  Cuanza 
and  the  Zambesi.  Among  these  barbarians,  paradoxes 
are  common  enough,  and  we  find  principles  planted 
and  rooted  among  them  that  would  with  difficulty  be 
comprehended  in  Europe. 

The  dog,  that  faithful  and  devoted  friend  of  man, 
does  not  torfeit  among  the  negroes  his  character  as  a 
sociable  companion  and  trusty  guard,  and  he  is  found 
among  all  the  tribes  of  the  Ganguella  race.  It  is  true 
that  a  variety  of  shaggy  hounds  and  a  few  degenerate 
water-spaniels  are  almost  the  only  specimens  of  the 
canine  race  that  are  met  with  in  this  part  of  Africa. 
Among  the  Quimbandes  and  Bihenos  the  dog  is  treated 

contumeliously  enough  — 
and  little  wonder,  seeing 
that  he  is  used  there  only 
as  an  article  of  food.  He 
is  most  esteemed  when  he 
is  dead,  for  his  flesh  is  held 
to  be  a  delicacy. 

The  Ambuellas,  as  I  ob- 
served above,  though  fur- 
nished with  the  elements  to 
become  the  first  breeders 
of  sheep  and  cattle  in  South 
Central  Africa,  possess 
neither  cattle  nor  sheep, 
and  breed  common  poultry 
only,  and  that  of  a  small 
and  inferior  kind. 

Among  the  inhabitants 
of  the  river  Cuchibi  there 
are  no  places  set  apart  for 
Their  Sovas  are  buried 


Fis.  78. — Ambuei.la  Hunter. 


the  interment  of  the  dead 


THE  KING  OF  THE  AMBUELLAS'  DAUGHTERS,  341 


in  any  convenient  spot  in  the  wood,  but  the  people 
find  an  unmarked  grave  in  the  mud  by  the  river- 
side. 

The  customs  of  the  Ambuellas  may  be  designated  as 

mild  and  sociable,  and  their  hospitality,  as  will  be 

fathered  from  what  I  have  alreadv  recorded,  is  of  the 
<~>  • 

frankest  order. 

They  are  tolerable  woodsmen,  and  gather  a  great  deal 
of  wax  from' the  forest. 

Women  enjoy  much  more  consideration  among  them 
than  with  any  other  tribes  I  had  hitherto  visited,  for, 


Fig.  79  — Chinguene. 


One-fourth  the  natural  size.  Soft  skin  without  scales.  Brown  back  with  darker 
spots:  triangular  shape,  the  back  being  the  vertex;  3  belly  fins,  2  subdorsal 
and  2  dorsal.  Two  muscular  feelers  upon  the  mouth,  and  two  on  the  lower  jaw. 
It  belongs  to  a  family  that  is  very  common  in  Africa  and  which  comprises  many 
species. 

as  a  rule,  they  are  the  most  abject  slaves  of  their 
husbands. 

The  Ambuellas  are  skilful  fishermen,  which  of 
course  is  not  surprising,  living  as  they  do  upon  a  river 
whose  aquatic  fauna  is  extremely  varied. 

In  fact,  of  all  the  rivers  I  had  come  across,  it  was  the 
richest  in  fish  I  had  yet  beheld. 

During  my  stay  I  was  able  to  obtain  from  the  natives 
18  different  varieties,  and  they  assured  me  that  the 
specimens  were  far  from  complete. 

I  enumerate  below,  under  the  names  furnished  me 
by  the  aborigines,  those  which  I  was  enabled  to  see 
and  examine. 


342 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


Small  Fish,  measuring  under  8  inches. 

1.  Mussozi   Skin  fish. 

2.  Mango   do. 

3.  Chinguene   do. 

4.  Chibembe   do. 

5.  Limbunibo   do. 

6.  Dipa   Scaly  fish. 

7.  Chitnngulo   do. 

8.  Lincuuiba   do. 

9.  Nhe]e   do. 

10.  Lin«iimveno   do. 


Fig.  80. — Lincumba. 

Natural  size.    Scales  broad  and  hard;  grey  back,  silver  white  belly  ;  5  belly-fins, 
1  lumbar,  all  soft. 


Large  Fish,  between  8  and  20  inches. 

11.  Cho   Skin  fish. 

12.  Mucunga   Scaly  fish. 

13.  Undo   do. 

14.  Chinganja   do. 

15.  Nassi   do. 

16.  Bnla   do. 

17.  Ganzi   do. 

18.  Boei-io   do. 


Fig.  81. — Chipulo  or  Nheee. 

Natural  size.    Scales  hard  and  small ;  back  of  a  reddish-grey  ;  belly  reddish-white  ; 
3  belly  fins,  2  super-ventral,  and  1  lumbar,  occupying  the  whole  back,  and  spiky. 


THE  KING  OF  THE  AMBUELLAS'  DAUGHTERS.  343 


Six  different  large  Mammiferi  inhabit  the  River  Cl'cuibi. 

1 .  The  Hippopotamus. 

2.  The  Quicbobo  or  Buzi  (antelope). 

3.  The  Nhundo  (common  Otter). 

4.  Libao  (large  Otter,  spotted  with  white). 

5.  Chitoto  (small  Otter,  perfectly  black). 

6.  Dima  (herbivorous,  about  the  size  of  a  small  goat ;  without  horns,  existing 

under  the  same  conditions  as  the  Quichobo  or  Buzi). 

The  reptiles,  also,  which  inhabit  the  waters  of  the 
river  are  fmmerous,  but  the  crocodiles  are  small  at  id 
not  of  a  very  voracious  character,  and  the  cobras  are 
not  all  of  them  venomous. 

There  is  a  great  variety  of  the  frog-tribe ;  but  the 
Ambuellas  do  not  specially  distinguish  them,  but  bestow 
upon  all,  generally,  the  name  of  Manjunda. 

In  canals  and  pools  where  the  waters  stagnate  there 
exist  myriads  of  leeches,  as  is  the  case  with  all  the 
rivers  in  this  part  of  Africa. 

I  had  made  a  great  provision  of  maize,  and  had  got 
together  carriers  to  convey  it,  under  the  command  of 
the  daughters  of  the  Sova ;  so  that  on  the  4th  August  I 
took  my  departure,  after  the  most  cordial  adieux,  and 
continued  the  descent  of  the  river  upon  its  right  bank. 

Two  hours  after  leaving  Cahu-heu-ue  the  guides 
pointed  out  to  me  a  ford  where  the  passage  of  the 
river  might  be  safely  effected.  They  themselves 
crossed  over  to  show  me  the  way,  and  I  observed  that 
a  man  of  medium  stature  could  wade  breast-high  for  a 
space  of  21  yards. 

The  river  at  that  spot  was  between  77  and  87  yards 
in  width.  I  stripped  off  my  clothes,  and  proceeded  to 
examine  the  ford.  I  found  it  was  a  narrow  bar,  with  a 
depth  immediately  above  and  below  it  of  10  to  12  feet, 
with  a  very  hard  sandy  bottom.  The  current  of  the 
river  over  the  tord  was  at  least  65  yards  a  minute. 
Under  these  circumstances  the  passage  must  be  always 
difficult  to  a  laden  caravan. 


344 


THE  KINO'S  RIFLE. 


I  gave  orders  to  commence  the  passage,  which  took 
a  couple  of  hours  in  the  performance.  I  remained  the 
whole  of  that  time  in  the  water,  with  Verissimo  and 
Augusto,  the  only  two  who  were  capable  of  swimming, 
ready  to  assist  any  of  the  men  who  should  lose  their 
footing.  Not  the  slightest  accident,  however,  occurred  ; 
nor,  indeed,  such  was  our  care  and  precaution,  was  a 
single  package  wetted. 

The  passage  of  the  river  having  been  an  excessively 
fatiguing  operation,  I  determined  to  pitch  our  camp 
shortly  after  crossing,  which  was  done  on  our  arrival  at 
the  village  of  Lienzi. 

The  natives  soon  flocked  in  great  numbers  into  the 
camp,  bringing  with  them  presents,  and  provisions  for 
barter  or  sale.  I  never  saw  before  in  Africa  so  manv 
fowls  as  were  that  day  brought  over  by  the  Ambuellas. 
There  was  not  a  carrier  or  the  youngest  nigger  but 
feasted  that  day  on  roast  chicken. 

I  could  not  help  being  struck  by  the  moderation  and 
good-nature  of  the  natives,  which  were  really  remark- 
able for  an  African  people. 

The  whole  of  the  men  were  armed  with  bows  and 
arrows  ;  a  few  of  them  carried  assegais,  and  there  were  a 
good  many  who,  besides  the  native  arms,  were  pos- 
sessed of  long  flint-lock  guns  of  Belgian  manufacture. 

Both  men  and  women  cut  the  two  front  incisors  in 
the  shape  of  a  triangle,  but  with  a  much  more  open 
angle  than  I  observed  among  the  Quimbandes. 

Their  arms  are  manufactured  by  themselves,  the 
iron-work  being  of  a  very  inferior  kind.  The  iron 
itself  is  extracted  from  mines  lying  below  the  con- 
fluence of  the  Cuchibi  and  Cuando. 

Those  Ambuellas  who  use  fire-arms  greatly  favour, 
as  I  have  before  had  occasion  to  mention,  the  "  Laza- 
rinas  "  now  manufactured  in  Belgium,  and  round  the 
barrel  of  each  gun  they  fasten  a  strip  of  skin  of  the 


THE  KING  OF  THE  A  MB  UELLA  S '  DAUGHTERS.  345 


animal  it  has  brought  down  in  the  chase,  which 
enables  any  one  by  a  mere  inspection  of  the  weapon 
to  know  how  many  victims  have  fallen  to  its  share. 

The  only  result  is  to  spoil  the  look  of  the  gun  and 
injure  its  utility  by  destroying  the  aim  ;  but  as  they 
only  risk  a  shot  at  10  paces,  they  sometimes  accident- 
ally bring  down  their  prey. 

The  hunter  who  had  been  most  successful  in  his  sport 
displayed  no  more  than  ten  strips  of  skin  about  the 
barrel  of  his  weapon. 

This  being  the  case,  the  poor  people  would  get  but 
few  skins  wherewith  to  cover  their  nakedness,  if  it 
were  not  for  the  snares  they  set  in  the  woods. 

Powder  is  an  extremely  rare  commodity  amongst 
them,  and  it  is  only  very  occasionally,  with  an  interval 


Fig.  83. — AS>EGAIS  OF  THE  AMBUELLAS. 

of  months  between,  that  a  Biheno  trader  passes  that 
way  and  sells  them — for  an  enormous  equivalent — the 
smallest  possible  quantity. 

Among  the  Ambuellas  who  came  into  the  encamp- 
ment was  one  exceedingly  pleasant-mannered  fellow. 
He  tried  every  possible  means  to  convince  me  that  I 
should  be  driving  a  capital  bargain  by  exchanging  a 
charge  of  powder  for  a  fine  cock  he  carried  under  his 
arm.  I  was  much  diverted  with  the  ingratiating  way 
in  which  he  tried  to  persuade  me  to  effect  the  ex- 
change ;  and  at  last  I  told  him  that  I  would  consent  if 
he  could  kill  the  cock  at  50  paces'  distance  with  a 
bow  and  arrow. 

He  accepted  the  proposal,  and  I  measured  the  dis- 
tance. 

The  cock  being  set  up  at  the  allotted  place,  eight 


346 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


arrows,  each  of  which  wns  infinitely  wide  of  the  mark, 
were  fired  at  the  intended  victim. 

A  lot  of  the  bystanders  got  quite  excited  with  the 
sport,  and  at  length  a  perfect  cloud  of  arrows  might 
be  seen  flying  in  the  direction  of  the  poor  cock ;  but 
though  the  distance  had  been  lessened  to  40  paces,  the 
best  shot  was  still  half  a  yard  away  from  the  mark.  I 
then  told  the  Bihenos  that  I  would  make  the  cock  a 
present  to  whomsoever  could  kill  it.  The  best  marks- 
men from  my  caravan  now  came  forward ;  the  most 
successful  of  whom  was  Silva  Porto's  negro  Jamba,  who 


Fig.  84. — Ambuella  Arrow-Heads. 


planted  an  arrow  within  a  quarter  of  an  inch  of  the 
cock,  which  might,  however,  have  lived  and  crowed 
for  some  time  longer  had  I  not  put  an  end  to  the  sport 
with  a  bullet  from  mv  Winchester  rifle. 

We  discovered  in  the  wood  in  which  we  were  en- 
camped an  enormous  quantity  of  white  spiders,  with 
bodies  as  large  as  the  top  of  the  thumb.  They  bit 
sharply,  causing  a  violent  though  transitory  pain. 

Our  camp  was  the  resort  of  a  considerable  number 
of  women,  attracted  probably  by  the  presence  of  the 
daughters  of  their  chief.    They  wore  a  great  quan- 


THE  KING  OF  THE  AMBUELLAS'  DAUGHTERS.  347 


tit j  of  iron  bangles  round  their  wrists,  about  an 
eighth  of  an  inch  in  thickness,  of  a  quadrangular 
section,  having  the  two  outer  edges  indented.  When 
they  danced  (and  the  Ambuellas  are  much  given  to 
dancing)  the  tinkle  of  these  bangles  had  a  very  musical 
sound. 

They  compliment  each  other  by  repeatedly  striking 
their  open  palms  upon  their  naked  breasts. 

A  custom  which  I  met  with  among  all  the  Ganguella 
people,  but  more  rigorously  observed  in  the  Cuchibi 
than  elsewhere,  is  noteworthy,  and  refers  to  the  mode 
of  addressing  the  Sova  or  Soveta. 

The  person  who  wishes  to  speak  to  the  great  man  does 
not  do  so  directly,  but  addresses  his  words  to  one  of  the 
negroes  standing  by  the  chiefs  side :  he  in  turn  repeats 
ihe  remark  or  request  to  a  second  negro,  who  transmits 
it  to  the  Sova.  The  reply  passes  through  the  same 
channel. 

The  explanation  that  was  given  to  me  of  this  ar- 
rangement was  the  following.  The  party  who  first 
speaks,  by  hearing  his  words  repeated  twice,  has  an 
opportunity  of  correcting  any  wrongful  interpretation 
of  his  idea,  and  this  is  likewise  the  case  with  the 
party  who  answers. 

My  own  notion,  however,  is  that  the  Sovas  have 
established  the  custom  in  order,  during  the  triple 
repetition  of  the  phrase,  to  secure  time  to  prepare  a 
suitable  reply. 

From  Lienzi  I  went  on  a  hunting-excursion  down 
the  river  to  its  confluence  wTith  the  Cuando,  the  position 
of  which  I  marked  roughly,  being  unable  to  take  any 
observations  ;  but  I  feel  pretty  confident  in  its  being 
correct,  on  account  of  my  having  perfectly  determined 
the  position  of  Lienzi  itself. 

Close  to  the  confluence  of  the  Cuchibi  I  fell  in  with 
two  large  Ambuella  villages,  Linhonzi  and  Maramo, 


348 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


and  between  them  and  Lienzi  a  large  Chirnbambo 
village. 

At  the  confluence  of  the  river  Queimbo  is  situated 
the  village  of  Catiba,  governed  by  a  black  from  Cahu- 
heu-ue,  and  subject  to  the  Sova  of  the  Cuchibi. 

When  I  got  back  to  the  encampment  I  found  my 
followers  so  given  up  to  the  delights  of  Capua,  that 
there  was  no  tearing  them  from  the  arms  of  the  lovely 
daughters  of  this  new  African  Nineveh. 

The  double  intoxication  produced  by  bingando  and 
love  made  the  fellows  deaf  alike  to  entreaties  and 
threats. 

The  Soveta  of  Lienzi  came  to  call  upon  me,  in  com- 
pany of  a  Mucassequere  his  guest.  I  gladly  engaged 
the  latter  to  serve  as  my  guide  to  the  sources  of  the 
river  Niuda,  which  I  was  desirous  of  reaching ;  and  as 
the  inclination  was  strong  upon  me  to  start  at  once,  I 
called  the  pombeiros  together  and  told  them  of  my 
intention  to  go  on  with  the  Ambuellas  and  my  young 
attendants,  and  that  they  might  remain  behind  if  they 
thought  proper,  but  that,  in  any  case,  I  should  carry 
away  with  me  the  whole  of  the  rations. 

Having  made  them  this  communication,  I  set  off 
under  the  guidance  of  the  Mucassequere,  and  accom- 
panied by  the  daughters  of  the  Sova  and  their  followers. 

My  Quimbares,  seeing  me  in  earnest,  at  once  left  the 
camp  and  followed  me,  leaving  the  Quimbundos  and 
Verissimo's  niggers  behind. 

After  a  painful  march  of  6  hours  through  the 
tangled  forest,  and  where  not  a  drop  of  water  was 
met  with,  we  reached  the  right  bank  of  the  Chicului, 
parched  with  thirst. 

This  river  runs  through  a  desert  and  swampy  plain 
from  1800  to  2000  yards  in  width,  and  the  forest,  of 
unvarying  density,  only  terminates  where  the  marsh 
begins. 


THE  KING  OF  TEE  A  MB  UELLA  S '  DAUGHTERS.  349 


During  the  night  the  lions  and  leopards  roamed 
incessantly  around  my  encampment,  roaring  in  the 
most  frightful  manner. 

Next  morning,  at  daybreak,  I  decided  upon  crossing 
to  the  opposite  bank. 

I  passed  the  river  at  a  place  where  a  bridge  had 
evidently  at  one  time  been  thrown  across  the  stream 
by  Biheno  .caravans,  and  which  I  reconstructed.  The 
passage  was  effected  easily  enough,  but  it  was  not  so 
easy  to  reach  the  forest  on  the  left  bank,  as  we  had  to 
traverse  the  swampy  plain,  where  we  occasionally  sunk 
to  above  our  waists. 

My  little  nigger  Pepeca  more  than  once  remained 
with  only  his  head  out  of  the  bog,  and  we  had  much 
ado  to  disinter  him;  and  there  were  1600  yards  of  this 
most  trying  and  fatiguing  swamp  to  gei  over. 

The  river  I  found  to  be  16  yards  in  width  by  12  to 
15  feet  deep,  with  a  current  running  at  the  rate  of  45 
to  50  yards  per  minute.  I  saw  quantities  of  fish  in  the 
stream,  both  large  and  small,  and  a  few  crocodiles,  but 
of  no  great  size. 

.After  crossing  the  river,  I  sighted,  at  about  600 
yards  down  stream,  a  considerable  herd  of  Songues, 
and,  stealing  a  rapid  march  upon  them  through  the 
brushwood,  I  managed  to  kill  three. 

My  favourite  goat  Cora  never  left  ray  side  for  a 
moment,  and  since  she  had  heard  the  roaring  of  the 
lions  was  in  a  constant  state  of  nervous  alarm. 

A  good  many  birds  were  caught  by  my  negroes, 
among  which  were  a  variety  of  quails  and  a  white 
lapwing  witli  white  legs. 

About  1  o'clock  in  the  day  my  Quimbundos  made 
their  appearance,  with  the  pombeiros,  who  in  very 
humble  guise  entreated  my  pardon  for  not  having  come 
on  with  me  the  day  before. 

I  was  in  no  mood  just  then  to  be  too  hard  upon  them, 


350 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


so  forgave  their  temporary  desertion,  and  shortly 
after  I  went  on  a  fishing-excursion,  with  a  very  large 
net,  by  the  aid  of  which  I  caught  a  good  many  fish, 
very  similar  to  the  mullet  of  the  Portuguese  rivers. 

This  same  net  or  barbal,  as  it  is  called  by  the  river 
Douro  fishermen,  was  a  present  made  me  by  my  father, 
and  which  on  various  occasions  proved  our  sole  re- 
source against  the  cravings  of  hunger. 

The  serious  illness  of  one  of  my  blacks  induced  me 
to  remain  a  couple  of  days  in  that  place,  which  put  me 
out  exceedingly ;  for,  having  with  me  a  numerous 
company  of  Ambuellas,  the  provisions  I  had  brought 
from  the  Cuchibi  were  disappearing  rapidly,  and  I  had 
before  me  an  enormous  tract  of  country  to  get  over 
ere  reaching  the  Zambesi,  with  the  prospect  of  meeting 
with  no  resources  beyond  the  spoils  of  the  chase — a 
very  problematical  source  of  supply  in  Africa. 

During  one  of  those  days  the  Ambuellas  penetrated 
the  forest  in  search  of  honey,  guided  by  the  Indicators, 
and  were  fortunate  in  securing  a  goodly  quantity. 

Many  wTell-known  naturalists  from  the  time  of 
Sparmann  and  Leveillant,  the  first  who  studied  the 
habits  of  this  curious  bird,  down  to  the  most  modern 
explorers,  have  made  it  the  subject  of  lengthened 
description.  Nevertheless,  I  must  be  pardoned  if  I  say 
a  few  words  more  about  so  interesting  a  creature, 
dictated  by  my  own  experience  and  observation  of  its 
habits  in  Africa. 

Whether  the  indicator  is  or  is  not  a  cuckoo  is  a 
matter  which  I  will  not  attempt  to  discuss,  but  leave  it 
to  the  authority  of  the  Bocages  and  the  Giinters.  Nor 
will  I  enter  upon  the  other  question,  of  deciding 
whether  it  should  be  called  Cuculus  albirostris,  as 
Temminck  asserts,  or  simply  Indicator  as  averred  by 
others.  To  attempt  to  describe  it,  with  my  limited 
knowledge  of  ornithology,  would  be  presumption,  so  I 


2  BE  KING  OF  TEE  AMBUELLAS'  DAUGHTERS.  351 


shall  confine  myself  to  relating  what  I  saw  it  do,  and 
draw  my  own  conclusions  from  the  observation. 

No  sooner  does  man  penetrate  into  one  of  the 
extensive  forests  of  South  Central  Africa  than  the 
indicator  makes  its  appearance,  hopping  from  bough 
to  bough,  in  close  proximity  to  the  adventurer,  and 
endeavouring  bv  its  monotonous  note  to  attract  his 
attention.  This  end  having  been  attained,  it  rises 
heavily  upon  the  wing,  and  perches  a  little  distance 
off,  watching  to  see  if  it  is  followed. 

If  no  attention  be  paid  to  it,  it  again  returns,  hopping 
and  chirping  as  before,  and,  by  its  conduct  and  the 
mariner  of  its  flight,  evidently  invites  the  stranger  to 
follow  in  its  wake.  The  wayfarer  yields  at  length, 
moved  by  the  pertinacity  of  the  bird,  which,  now 
flying,  now  hopping,  but  so  as  never  to  get  out  of  sight 
of  its  follower,  guides  him  through  the  intricacies  of 
the  forest,  almost  unerringly,  to  a  bee's  nest. 

This  is  the  most  common  instance,  and  the  abo- 
rigines who  are  hunting  after  wax  invariably  allow 
themselves  to  be  guided  by  its  indications. 

Some  explorers,  and  among  them  the  Portuguese 
Gamito,  declare  that  the  bird  likewise  entices  men  on 
to  the  den  of  the  wild  beast.  This  I  cannot  endorse  of 
my  own  experience,  as  I  have  followed  dozens  of 
indicators,  nor  did  I  ever  hear  it  affirmed  by  any 
native. 

True,  this  restless  bird  has  guided  me  and  others  to 
the  carcass  of  some  animal  wasting  in  putrefaction, 
to  an  encampment  recently  abandoned,  to  a  lake,  or  to 
other  wayfarers ;  but  why  it  should  do  any  of  these 
things  is  a  mystery,  inasmuch  as  it  is  in  no  wise  a 
gainer  by  such  a  proceeding.  But  the  fact  remains 
that  it  shows  man  almost  always  the  way  to  honey,  and 
I  believe  it  to  be  its  fixed  intention  so  to  do ;  although, 
if  the  other  destinations  to  which  I  have  alluded,  and 


352 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


which  have  produced  the  impression  made  upon  many 
travellers,  have  been  reached  upon  the  road,  it  can 
scarcely  be  deemed  remarkable  in  African  forests. 

For  the  same  reason,  it  is  very  possible  that  a  lion's 
den  may  stand  in  the  way,  without  its  being  the  bird's 
intention  to  entice  the  traveller  into  the  beast's  jaws. 

Admitting,  however,  that  the  general  rule,  that  the 
indicator  points  the  road  to  where  honey  may  be  found, 
has  exceptions,  the  examples  of  the  rule  being  fol- 
lowed are  so  many  and  so  various,  that  I  have  no 
hesitation  in  pronouncing  this  bird  to  be  a  friend  to 
humanity. 

I  found  near  the  river  Chicului  a  cobra's  skin,  22  feet 
long  by  1  foot  5  inches  wide,  and  was  assured  by  the 
natives  that  even  larger  ones  existed  in  the  neighbour- 
hood. 

It  was  on  the  9th  of  August  that  I  was  at  length 
enabled  to  pursue  my  journey.  I  was  very  desirous 
that  the  daughters  of  the  Sova  of  the  Cuchibi  should 
return  home  with  their  followers,  as  the  rations  we  had 
with  us  were  decreasing  visibly,  and  my  anxiety,  as  I 
surveyed  the  future,  was  anything  but  light. 

After  a  march  of  3  hours  we  fell  in  with  a  rivulet 
running  S.S.E ,  and,  having  waded  across  it,  we 
came  upon  a  lake  a  couple  of  hundred  yards  wide, 
which  we  were  also  foiced  to  wade  through,  with  the 
water  up  to  our  waists. 

The  rivulet,  which  empties  itself  into  the  Chicului 
near  its  mouth,  is  the  Chalongo,  and  is  probably  the 
same  that  figures  on  the  maps  under  the  name  of  Longo, 
and  which,  through  erroneous  information,  our  carto- 
graphers have  made  debouch  into  the  Zambesi. 

Whilst  crossing  the  lake  we  observed  several 
vultures  hovering  round,  and  descending  to  one  par- 
ticular spot  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  us.  Moved 
by  curiosity,  I  went  to  see  what  was  the  special  object 


THE  KINO  OF  TEE  AMBUELLAS'  DAUGHTERS.  353 


of  attraction  of  these  disgusting  birds ;  and,  as  I  drew 
nearer,  I  saw  a  perfect  flock  of  them  whirling  about 
some  large  carcass  that  was  surrounded  by  hyenas, 
which  made  off  without  my  being  able  to  get  a  shot  at 
them.  On  reaching  the  spot,  I  found  an  enormous 
malanca  (Hippotragus  equinus)  recently  killed  by  a  lion. 

The  skin  of  this  superb  antelope  was  torn  into 
strips  by  the  lion's  talons,  and,  what  was  remarkable 


Fig.  85. — Malanca. 


and  inexplicable,  the  animal's  hoofs  were  completely 
gnawed  away. 

The  eyes  had  been  torn  out  of  the  sockets,  evidently 
by  the  rapacious  birds. 

My  Quimbundos,  who  had  followed  in  my  steps,  no 
sooner  saw  the  malanca  than  they  literally  threw 
themselves  upon  it,  and  disputed  with  each  other  for 
the  remnants  of  the  carcass,  mangled  as  it  was  by  the 

vol.  I.  2  a 


354 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


beasts  and  birds  of  prey  :  an  infinitely  more  horrible 
spectacle  in  my  eyes  than  that  which  I  had  observed  a 
few  minutes  before,  when  the  wild  beasts  were  at  their 
dreadful  work.  Of  the  two,  the  men  were  the  more 
deserving  of  the  title. 

And  be  it  observed  that  at  this  particular  time  there 
was  no  necessity  for  their  so  acting,  as  I  had  killed 

game  but  recently,  and 
the  stores  brought  from 
the  Cuchibi  were  not  yet 
exhausted. 

My  very  Quimbares 
could  not  resist  the  temp- 
tation, and  soon  joined  the 
Quimbundos  in  their  dis- 
gusting banquet. 

Setting  the  caravan 
once  more  in  order,  we 
pursued  our  onward  way, 
I  pondering,  as  I  went,  on 
the  power  which  savage 
life    exercises    over  the 


negro. 

Fig.  86.— 1.  Direction  of  horns  seen  from        Here  Were  these  Qllim- 

the  front  bares,  who  came  from  Ben- 

2.  Slot  of  the  Malanca. 

guella,  and  were,  so  to 
speak,  semi-civilised,  and  yet  they  were  no  better  than 
the  Quimbundos  in  savagery  and  brutishness. 

I  cannot  at  times  help  thinking  that  what  is  con- 
sidered by  many  people  in  Europe  as  quite  possible, 
viz.  the  civilising  the  negro  in  Africa  is  a  pure 
chimera. 

The  civilising  element  is,  at  all  events  at  the  present 
time,  so  infinitesimal  as  compared  with  the  savage 
element,  that  the  latter  must  inevitably  preponderate 
until  the  other  shall  assume  far  larger  proportions. 


THE  KING  OF  THE  AMBUELLAS'  DAUGHTERS.  355 


In  order  to  realise  this  dream  of  many  exalted  spirits 
in  the  old  world,  there  must  be  a  white  man  for  every 
black  upon  the  African  soil,  as  by  such  means  only  can 
the  element  of  civilisation  be  made  to  outweigh  the 
savage. 

We  have  an  instance  of  this  among  the  Boers  of  the 
Transvaal,  who,  European  by  origin,  have  in  less  than 
a  century  of  time  lost  all  the  civilisation  tbey  brought 
with  them  from  Europe,  have  become  conquered  by  the 
savage  element  amid  which  they  have  been  living,  and 
now,  though  Europeans  in  colour  and  professing 
the  faith  of  Christ,  are  the  veriest  barbarians  in 
customs  and  behaviour. 

It  should  be  borne  in  mind  that,  in  my  journey 
hither,  I  had  passed  through  many  barbarous  peoples, 
among  whom  not  the  slightest  civilising  element  had 
ever  permeated,  and  that,  with  the  sole  exception  of  the 
Bihenos,  I  had  met  with  none  in  contact  with  the 
civilisation  of  the  Western  coast. 

As  I  trudged  on,  I  frequently  thought  of  these 
things,  and  revolved  in  my  mind  a  phrase  which  had 
been  often  repeated  to  me  by  my  friend  Silva  Porto  : 
44  Mark  this, — the  best  of  the  Bihenos  are  incorrigible  ; 
impress  this  truth  upon  your  memory,  and  you  are  safe 
in  dealing  with  them." 

It  was  after  I  became  acquainted  with  the  Ham- 
bundo  dialect  that  I  learned  to  value  them  at  their  true 
price. 

Occasionally  at  night,  when  quiet  in  my  hut,  I  over- 
heard the  snatches  of  talk  uttered  around  me,  and  no 
one  would  believe  what  I  did  hear. 

One  night,  in  particular,  the  subject  of  conversation 
turned  upon  certain  episodes  of  a  war  that  had  broken 
out  in  the  Bihe  a  year  previous  against  certain  Bihenos 
who  refused  to  recognise  the  authority  of  the  Sova 
Quilemo,  when,  in  the  midst  of  roars  of  laughter  and 

2  a  2 


356 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


other  signs  of  approbation  from  his  listeners,  one  of  the 
fellows  told  the  following  story. 

He  made,  it  appears,  a  couple  of  prisoners,  a  lad  and 
a  young  girl,  and  as  the  latter  annoyed  him  with  her 
tears  and  cries,  he  bound  her  arms  strongly  together, 
and  cut  off  one  of  her  ears.  As  this  did  not  tend  to 
make  the  unhappy  victim  more  quiet,  he  struck  his 
hatchet  into  her  breast,  but  was  careful  to  give  such  a 
blow  as  should  not  at  once  destroy  life.  The  wretch 
then  described  to  his  auditors,  in  dramatic  style,  the 
contortions  and  groans  of  his  poor  captive,  and  narrated 
in  sickening  detail  the  mode  by  which  he  at  length 
produced  her  death.  It  was  a  grim  satisfaction  to  me 
to  hear  that  he  repented  of  what  he  had  done,  as  her 
family,  unknowing  of  her  fate,  had  come  to  offer,  in 
ransom,  three  able-bodied  slaves,  by  whose  aid  he  might 
have  set  up  in  business. 

It  would  be  painful  and  unnecessary  to  multiply 
descriptions  of  such  horrible  scenes  as  the  foregoing ; 
but  it  may  well  be  believed  that  no  chief  of  bandits 
in  Europe  requires,  to  maintain  discipline  among  his 
horde  of  miscreants,  greater  energy  and  firmness  than 
the  European  in  Africa  requires  to  lead  and  keep  in 
hand  savages  of  such  a  nature. 

My  camp  was  pitched  at  the  source  of  a  little 
brook  called  Combule,  which,  at  about  a  mile  from  its 
spring-head,  after  a  westerly  course,  empties  itself  into 
the  river  Chicului ;  it's  waters  at  no  time  being  strong 
enough  to  move  a  mill. 

I  succeeded  in  persuading  the  Sova's  daughters  to 
return  to  their  father's  roof;  and  they  departed,  after 
a  very  cordial  leave-taking.  Even  Opudo  deigned 
to  entreat  me  to  take  Cuchibi  on  my  return,  and  come 
and  live  among  them  ;  whilst  Capeu  made  her  suppli- 
cation still  more  eloquent  by  a  glance  of  her  eve, — 
one  of  those  women's  glances  which  are  so  powerful 


THE  KING  OF  THE  AMBUELLAS*  DAUGHTERS.  357 


when  spontaneous,  and  not  acquired  in  the  school  of 
coquetry. 

It  was  not  without  regret  that  I  saw  those  two 
faithful  girls  depart ;  the  only  examples,  as  they  were, 
that  I  had  met  with  in  Africa  of  natives  forming  an 
actual  friendship. 

When  they  were  gone,  my  Mucassequere  guide  came 
to  me  and  said  : 

u  I  have  passed  my  life  upon  the  road  you  are  about 
to  take  from  here  to  the  Limbai,  and  I  therefore  know 
the  country  well.  Have  your  best  rifle  always  ready 
to  your  hand,  and  be  ever  on  the  alert  while  in  the 
jungle,  for  you  will  be  many  days  surrounded  by  wild 
beasts.  Above  all,  be  careful  of  the  buffaloes  of  the 
Ninda.  Many  a  grave  will  you  pass — and  some,  too, 
covering  the  white  man — that  contain  victims  of  those 
ferocious  beasts.  I  am  your  friend,  for  you  never 
did  me  harm,  but  gave  me  powder  and  beads,  and 
therefore  I  put  you  on  your  guard." 

After  the  departure  of  the  Ambuellas,  I  was  alone 
with  my  own  people,  and  discovered,  not  without  some 
alarm,  that  there  was  an  enormous  reduction  in  the 
provisions. 

On  the  following  day  we  penetrated  into  an  exten- 
sive thorny  forest,  through  which  we  had  literally  to 
cut  our  road. 

After  a  fatiguing  march  of  5  hours,  the  most 
difficult  and  painful  I  had  yet  had  in  the  country,  we 
pitched  our  camp  at  the  source  of  the  river  Ninda, 
having  left  a  great  part  of  our  wearing  apparel  on 
the  brambles  by  the  wayside.  Half-an-hour  after  our 
arrival  I  must  have  cut  a  very  ridiculous  figure  in 
the  eyes  of  any  one  but  a  native,  as  I  was  covered 
with  bits  of  court-plaster  where  the  thorns  had  picked 
out  pieces  of  my  flesh. 

I  had  then  at  length  reached  the  birthplace  of  that 


358 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


Ninda  which  was  so  renowned  for  the  ferocity  of  the 
denizens  of  its  banks.  The  lions  which  favoured  it 
had  not  yet  succeeded  in  devouring  me  ;  but  I  could 
not  help  thinking  if  they  wished  to  do  so  they  must 
make  haste  about  it,  or  they  would  find  only  the 
miserable  remnants  left  by  thousands  of  insects  who 
considered  me  fair  prey. 

As  evening  fell,  a  cloud  of  flies,  so  small  that  they 
were  impossible  of  measurement,  swooped  down  upon 
the  encampment,  and,  whirling  about  in  a  mad  dance, 
penetrated  the  nostrils,  the  mouth,  the  ears  and  eyes, 
till  we  were  nearly  wild  with  pain  and  annoyance. 

The  encampment  was  surrounded  by  strong  palisades 
and  enormous  abattis,  and  every  precaution  was  taken 
to  protect  ourselves  against  any  possible  attack  of  wild 
beasts. 

I  had  a  visitation  of  another  kind,  in  the  shape  of 
a  violent  attack  of  fever,  which  did  not,  however, 
prevent  me  getting  up  more  than  once  during  the 
night,  and  turning  out  to  learn  why  the  dogs  were 
barking. 

All  through  the  dark  hours  the  lions  roared  about 
the  camp,  and  towards  morning  a  chorus  of  hyenas 
helped  to  complete  the  infernal  uproar. 

I  will  not  hesitate  to  put  here  upon  record, — for  the 
benefit  of  those  who,  in  the  enthusiasm  of  a  fearless 
heart,  have  built  up  pleasant  illusions  concerning  the 
delights  of  a  sylvan  life, — that  where  that  life  is 
thickly  sprinkled  with  wild  beasts  it  is  positively  most 
unpleasant. 

I  remained  where  I  was  till  the  afternoon  of  the 
next  day,  in  order  to  determine  my  position,  and  then 
moved  my  camp  a  mile  further  to  the  eastward. 

Close  to  the  spot  where  I  took  up  my  new  quarters 
was  the  grave  of  a  fellow-countryman,  the  trader  Luiz 
Albino,  who  was  there  killed  by  a  buffalo.    Among  my 


TEE  KING  OF  TEE  AMBUELLAS*  DA UGETERS.  359 


followers  I  had  Luiz  Albino's  favourite  negro,  old 
Antonio  de  Pungo  Andongo,  the  very  man  I  converted 
into  the  Sova  Mavanda's  tailor. 

Luiz  Albino  had  left  the  Bihe  with  a  large  quantity 
of  goods  which  he  was  carrying  to  the  Zambesi  to  trade 
with,  and  pitched  his  camp  on  the  very  same  spot 
where  mine  was  then  standing.  He  turned  out  to  give 
chase  to  a  buffalo,  which  he  wounded  in  the  leg, — a 
proof  that  he  was  no  great  sportsman,  as  it  was  not  the 
place  to  hit- the  animal. 

Seeing  it  fall,  he  came  back  to  camp,  and  summoning 
old  Antonio  (who  was  young  Antonio  then),  bade  him 
call  the  men  and  go  out  to  seek  a  buffalo  he  had 
mortally  wounded. 

The  Bihenos,  who  push  caution  to  a  fault,  declined 
the  task,  and  Albino,  calling  them  a  set  of  cowards, 
started  off  with  Antonio  for  sole  companion.  On 
reaching  the  wood,  the  buffalo,  which  like  all  wounded 
buffaloes  was  waiting  its  chance  to  avenge  the  blow  it 
had  received,  staggered  to  its  feet  and  rushed  at  him. 
Luiz  Albino  fired  off  in  quick  succession,  but  without 
taking  aim,  both  barrels  of  his  gun  ;  they  had  no  effect 
in  stopping  the  animal,  which  drove  its  horns  into  the 
unfortunate  man's  body. 

Antonio  fired  with  better  success,  but  too  late  to 
save  his  master,  for  the  corpse  of  the  huge  beast 
toppled  over  on  to  the  corpse  of  the  white  man. 

A  strong  wooden  stockade,  enclosing  a  piece  of 
ground,  some  15  feet  square,  protects  a  rude  timber 
cross,  and  reminds  the  wayfarer  of  the  necessity  of 
having  his  rifle  prepared  and  his  arm  steady  when 
sojourning  in  these  regions. 

I  had  now  reached  the  first  stage  of  my  journey 
where  elephants  appear,  and  I  therefore  deemed  it 
advisable  to  send  out  some  men  as  scouts,  but  they 
returned  without  discovering  anything  but  old  tracks 


360 


TEE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


of  them.  I  then  took  a  stroll  into  the  wood,  but  saw 
nothing  at  which  I  could  get  a  shot. 

I  continued  my  journey  next  day,  still  keeping  on 
the  right  bank  of  the  Ninda,  without  anything  of  note 
disturbing  us  on  our  mai'ch. 

On  the  13th  August  I  shifted  my  camp  10  miles  to 
the  eastward  of  the  spot  where  I  had  been  staying  the 
day  before.  A  vague  apprehension  was  beginning  to 
take  possession  of  my  mind.  The  provisions  were 
rapidly  melting  away,  and  I  was  still  at  a  long  distance 
from  any  country  where  resources  were  attainable.  I 
beat  about  the  forest  for  game,  but  without  any  result, 
although  I  perceived  recent  evidence  of  its  existence ; 
I  thought  I  even  saw  some  in  the  distance,  but  too  far 
to  be  within  rifle  shot. 

The  following  morning,  the  14th,  I  happened  to  be 
marching  along  at  the  head  of  the  caravan,  with  no 
other  companion  than  young  Pepeca,  when,  on  reach- 
ing the  place  where  I  resolved  to  come  to  a  halt  for 
the  day,  I  perceived  an  enormous  buffalo  quietly 
grazing. 

Sheltered  by  the  wood,  I  was  able  to  get  close  up 
to  him,  and  let  fly  at  about  35  yards,  aiming  at  the 
shoulder-blade,  as  he  stood  right  across  me.  The 
animal  fell  like  a  stone,  to  my  great  astonishment, 
because  the  point  I  aimed  at,  if  attained,  would  have 
produced  death,  it  is  true,  but  not  so  suddenly  as 
occurred  on  this  occasion.  My  surprise  was  redoubled, 
on  examining  the  beast,  to  find  that  the  ball  instead  of 
hitting  him  where  I  intended,  struck  just  6  inches 
higher,  cutting  the  vertebrae  and  producing  instan- 
taneous death  by  the  solution  of  continuity  of  the 
spinal  marrow. 

This  circumstance  caused  me  very  grave  reflection, 
inasmuch  as  such  a  deviation  of  the  ball  might  one  day 
be  the  cause  of  my  ruin.    So  that,  no  sooner  was  the 


THE  KING  OF  THE  AMBUELLAS'  DAUGHTERS,  361 


encampment  got  a  little  straight,  than  I  began  testing 
the  rifle  at  30  yards. 

The  vertical  deviation  observable  in  firing  at  the 
buffalo  continued  to  show  itself. 

It  was  my  Lepage  rifle,  of  large  calibre  and  steel 
balls. 

Its  trajectory  being  very  curved,  the  gunsmith  had 
calculated  the  last  groove  of  the  rise  for  87  yards,  and 
as  I  had  not  used  the  gun  for  a  shorter  distance,  I  had 
not  become  .aware  of  the  danger  I  ran  in  aiming  at  20 
to  30  yards.  So  it  happened  that  at  those  distances, 
and  when,  on  account  of  the  rifling,  I  could  ill  discover 
the  culminating  point  of  the  aim,  the  vertical  deviation 
was  constant. 

I  at  once  took  measures  to  remedy  the  defect,  and 
little  by  little  managed  to  deepen  the  groove  of  the 
rise,  until  I  obtained  the  greatest  precision  at  the 
shorter  distance. 

This  episode,  which  I  registered  in  my  diary  and 
now  describe  here,  although  of  no  interest  whatsoever 
to  the  majority  of  my  readers,  may  be  useful  as  a  hint 
to  those  who  follow  me  in  Africa,  a  hint  that  may 
perhaps  serve  them  in  good  stead. 

The  river  Ninda  runs  through  a  plain,  slightly  rising 
to  the  eastward,  and  which  I  was  assured  extends 
southward  all  the  way  to  the  junction  of  the  Cuando 
and  Zambesi. 

Up  to  the  point  where  I  was  encamped  the  forest 
descended  thickly  to  the  very  brink  of  the  river,  but 
from  that  spot  onwards  there  are  merely  groups  of  trees, 
scattered  here  and  there  over  the  enormous  plain. 

The  Oiico,  before  referred  to,  is  there  a  grand  tree, 
and  so  abundant  is  it,  and  so  plentiful  its  blossom,  that 
for  hours  and  hours  the  wayfarer  is  living  in  an  atmos- 
phere of  almost  overpowering  perfume. 

Next  day  we  had  a  6  hours'  march,  and  deviated 


362 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


somewhat  from  the  bank  of  the  river,  as  the  reeds  and 
canes  which  lined  it  were  an  obstacle  to  our  progress. 
We  then  encamped  alongside  a  lake  of  good  water,  not 
far  from  the  little  village  of  Calombeu,  an  advanced 
post  of  the  sovereign  of  the  Baroze  country. 

The  people  would  sell  us  nothing,  and  provisions 
were  beginning  to  get  scarce. 

Not  liking  my  position,  and  yet  being  unable  to  re- 
sume my  march  on  the  following  day,  on  account  of 
several  of  the  men  being  on  the  sick-list,  I  moved  my 
camp  a  mile  further  to  the  eastward,  and  continued  to 
draw  water  from  the  lake,  or  rather  marsh,  for  it 
partook  more  of  the  character  of  the  latter. 

I  was  now  in  the  vast  plain  of  the  Nhengo,  lying 
3900  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  which  extends 
eastwards  to  the  Zambesi  and  southwards  to  the 
confluence  with  that  river  of  the  Cuando. 

The  ground,  dry  in  appearance,  is  little  better  than 
a  sponge,  yielding  slowly  but  surely  to  the  pressure  of 
the  body,  the  water  oozing  up  and  filling  the  cavity 
thus  made. 

During  the  nights  that  I  was  forced  to  stop  there,  I 
lay  down  on  a  bed  that  was  dry  enough,  formed  of 
dry  leaves  and  covered  with  skins,  but  I  always  woke 
up  in  a  puddle. 

My  life  at  this  particular  time  was  one  of  constant 
torment,  as  I  failed  to  procure  during  the  dark  hours 
that  refreshing  sleep  which  repairs  the  fatigues  of  the 
day  and  helps  one  to  bear  better  the  troubles  and 
apprehensions  of  the  mind. 

The  dearth  of  provisions  to  which  we  were  fast 
hurrying,  the  difficulties  presented  by  the  country  that 
lay  before  me,  the  state  of  my  own  health,  which  I  felt 
was  deeply  shattered,  and  the  unsatisfactory  condition 
of  my  people,  among  whom  symptoms  of  in  subordi- 
nation had  frequently  shown  themselves,  affected  my 


THE  KING  OF  THE  AMBUELLAS'  DAUGHTERS.  363 


spirits  to  such  a  degree  that  I  was  in  a  constant  state 
of  ill-humour. 

On  the  16th  August  there  came  upon  me  a  feeling 
of  despair.  I  felt  myself  alone, — completely  alone, — 
not  a  man  of  my  whole  crew  seemed  to  have  a  scrap 
of  energy  left  in  him. 

Besides  the  tangible  difficulties  which  rose  up  be- 
fore me,  all  the  fellows  created,  or  seemed  desirous  of 
creating,  imaginary  ones.  I  had  to  interfere  in,  and  to 
decide  the  minutest  questions, — pure  matters  of  detail 
with  which  I  ought  never  to  have  been  bothered  at  all. 

I  do  not  mean  that  my  followers  absolutely  shirked 
their  work,  or  purposely  worried  me,  but  what  they  did 
was  clone  without  heart  or  brain ;  they  would  obey 
an  order  if  given  to  them  in  precise  terms,  but  were 
incapable  of  procuring  from  others  a  like  obedience. 

Verissimo  was  no  coward,  but  he  was  timid, 
wanting  in  strength  of  will,  and  irresolute  ;  in  fact, 
had  no  power  to  ensure  obedience  to  his  commands. 
Besides  this,  from  being  connected  with  some  of  the 
pombeiros,  he  had  little  or  no  hold  over  them.  The 
consequence  was,  I  had  not  only  to  issue  orders,  but 
myself  see  that  they  were  obeyed. 

I  transcribe  a  few  lines  from  my  diary  at  this  period, 
which  will  show  the  state  of  mind  through  which  I  was 
then  passing. 

"  This  upset  me,  and  put  me  in  a  very  bad  humour. 
Great  Heaven !  how  much  will,  how  much  pertinacity, 
how  much  energy  are  required  by  the  man  who, 
standing  alone,  surrounded  by  difficulties,  created  as 
much  by  his  own  followers  as  by  natural  causes,  strives 
to  fulfil  a  mission  such  as  mine  !  Alone  as  I  am  in 
the  centre  of  Africa  with  a  great  duty  to  perform  and 
the  honour  of  my  country's  flag  to  sustain,  how  much 
do  I  not  suffer  !  Shall  I  ever  bring  it  through  un- 
tarnished ?    Truly,  in  situations  such  as  these  one 


364 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


must  be  either  an  angel  or  a  demon,  and  at  times 
I  cannot  help  thinking  I  play  the  double  part !  " 

It  was  on  the  day  I  wrote  the  above  entry  that  we 
were  put  upon  rations,  and  maize  was  the  only  article 
we  had  left. 

Seated  at  the  door  of  my  hut,  as  evening  was  fall- 
ing, I  was  finishing  my  frugal  meal,  and  listlessly 
watching  my  carriers,  who  were  squatting  about  and 
eating  in  silence. 

It  seemed  as  if  some  profound  sadness  had  fallen 
upon  the  camp,  and  cast  a  spell  over  the  whole  of  its 
inmates. 

Suddenly  my  dogs  started  up  and  ran  towards  the 
wood,  barking  furiously. 

A  stranger  man,  followed  by  a  woman  and  two  lads, 
came  from  the  bush,  and,  paying  no  heed  to  the  dogs, 
entered  the  encampment,  and  giving  a  rapid  glance 
round,  advanced  and  seated  himself  at  my  feet. 

He  was  a  negro,  whose  bits  of  rags  scantily  covered 
his  nakedness.  What  had  once  been  a  mantle  hung 
from  his  bare  shoulders.  On  his  head  he  wore  what 
only  a  great  stretch  of  the  imagination  could  call 
a  cap,  and  in  his  hand  be  carried  a  stout  stick. 

His  weapons  were  borne  by  the  lads  who  followed  him. 

The  energetic  physiognomy,  keen  eye,  and  decision 
of  manner  of  the  stranger  immediately  commanded 
my  attention. 

"  Who  are  you  ?  "  I  enquired,  "  and  what  do  you 
want  of  me?" 

He  answered  me  in  Hambundo  :  "1  am  Caiumbuca, 
and  I  have  come  to  seek  you." 

On  hearing  the  name  of  Caiumbuca  I  could  not 
restrain  my  emotion. 

I  beheld  before  me  the  boldest  of  the  Bihe  traders. 
The  name  of  Caiumbuca,  the  old  pombeiro  of  Silva 
Porto,  is  known  from  the  Nyangwe  to  Lake  Ngami. 


THE  KING  OF  THE  AMB UELLAS '  DAUGHTERS.  365 


In  Benguella  Silva  Porto  said  to  me :  "  Seek  out 
Caiumbuca ;  engage  him  in  your  service,  and  you  will 
have  the  best  assistant  you  can  meet  with  in  all  South 
Central  Africa." 

On  reaching  the  Bihe  I  sought  him  high  and  low, 
but  none  could  give  intelligence  of  him. 

44  He  is  gone  into  the  interior,  and  nobody  knows 
where."  This  was  the  unvarying  answer  to  my  inquiries. 

It  happened  that  Caiumbuca  was  on  the  Cuando,  just 
below  the  confluence  of  the  Cuchibi,  when,  hearing 
of  my  approach,  he  started  across  country,  with  the 
woman  and  two  young  niggers,  to  join  me. 

I  had  a  talk  with  him  for  an  hour,  I  even  read  him 
a  letter  which  Silva  Porto  had  given  me  in  Benguella 
for  him  :  I  made  him  my  proposals,  and  by  nightfall, 
everything  being  settled,  I  called  my  carriers  together, 
and  presented  him  to  them  as  my  second  in  command. 

On  the  17th  August  T  made  a  forced  march  of  6 
hours'  duration,  for  our  provisions  were  at  an  end,  and 
it  was  absolutely  necessary  to  reach  human  dwellings. 

I  camped  on  the  right  bank  of  the  river  Nhengo, 
which  is  in  fact  the  Ninda,  after  receiving  from  the 
north  an  affluent  of  considerable  volume,  the  Loati. 

The  Nhengo  is  from  87  to  110  yards  wide,  by  up- 
wards of  12  feet  in  depth,  with  an  almost  imperceptible 
current.  At  times  it  looks  like  a  long  lake  in  which 
thousands  of  aquatic  plants  are  growing.  Both  banks 
are  clothed  with  trees,  so  thick  and  luxuriant  that 
their  vigorous  branches  occasionally  meet  across  the 
river,  intertwine  and  form  a  romantic  shade. 

This  important  affluent  of  the  Zambesi  runs  through 
the  immense  plain  of  which  I  have  already  made 
mention,  a  plain  so  spongy  and  humid  that  it  may  be 
considered  a  veritable  swamp.  It  is  the  resort  of 
myriads  of  snails,  which  drag  their  spiral  houses 
through  and  over  the  short  and  wiry  grass. 


366 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


A  vast  number  of  tortoises  (Emydes)  also  find  a 
home  in  that  congenial  territory,  and  a  few  palm-trees 
the-  first  I  had  seen  since  leaving  Benguella,  were 
likewise  visible,  their  elegant  heads  waving  with  the 
passing  wind. 

My  negroes  made  a  good  collection  of  the  tortoises, 
which  hunger  induced  them  to  devour  with  avidity,  not- 
withstanding the  disgusting  smell  which  emanates 
from  these  peculiar  creatures. 

Caiumbuca  having  informed  me  that  at  a  short 
distance  from  the  encampment  there  were  some  native 
villages,  I  decided  upon  stopping  where  I  was  for 
another  day,  in  order  to  obtain  provisions. 

Early  next  morning  I  sent  off  some  of  the  men  for 
the  purpose,  but  the  natives  turned  out  to  be  so  shy, 
that  they  fled  at  their  approach,  and  would  not  even 
listen  to  them. 

Our  position  was  now  sufficiently  serious,  as  we  had 
literally  nothing  to  eat,  and  all  attempts  both  at  hunt- 
ing and  fishing  yielded  no  result  whatsoever. 

A  group  of  our  fellows,  headed  by  Augusto,  came 
running  into  shelter,  pursued  by  several  lions,  which 
only  retired  on  hearing  the  noise  of  the  encampment. 

I  held  a  conference  with  Caiumbuca,  and  we  decided 
on  making  a  long  march  next  day,  as  far  as  certain 
villages,  which  he  called  Cacapa,  and  where  he  assured 
me  we  should  be  able  to  obtain  food. 

We  set  off  again,  therefore,  on  the  19th,  having 
eaten  our  last  ration  on  the  morning  of  the  17th  ! 

The  march  was  kept  up  for  8  hours,  and  at  the  close 
we  pitched  our  camp  near  a  lake,  having  left  the  banks 
of  the  river  in  order  to  get  nearer  to  the  villages. 

In  spite  of  the  fatigue  of  the  journey  and  the  weak- 
ness produced  by  hunger,  I  sent  off  a  deputation  to 
procure  provisions,  Caiumbuca  himself  being  one  of  the 
party.    At  nightfall  they  returned,  but  empty  handed. 


THE  KING   OF  THE  AMBUELLAS'  DAUGHTERS.  367 


They  obtained  absolutely  nothing.  And  the  natives 
not  only  refused  to  part  with  any  stores,  but  showed  a 
disposition  to  hostilities  ! 

What  was  to  be  done  ?  To  attempt  another  march, 
weakened  as  we  were  by  hunger,  was  to  run  the  risk  of 
fainting  and  dying  by  the  way.  I  therefore  called  the 
pombeiros  together,  and  pointed  out  to  them  the 
precarious  circumstances  of  the  caravan ;  but  I  found 
them  so  disheartened,  that  they  had  not  the  ghost  of  a 
counsel  to  pffer  me. 

I  then  summoned  some  of  the  negroes  who  had  been 
up  to  the  villages,  and  questioned  them  as  to  the 
actual  existence  of  stores  among  the  inhabitants.  On 
their  answering  me  in  the  affirmative,  I  took  an 
immediate  resolution,  and  I  bade  the  pombeiros  en- 
courage their  men  with  the  assurance  that  next 
morning  they  should  have  a  good  feed. 

When  alone  with  Caiumbuca,  I  informed  him  of  the 
resolution  I  had  taken  to  march  on  to  the  villages  and 
procure  provisions  at  any  cost. 

In  pursuance  of  this  determination,  at  daybreak  of 
the  20th  I  again  sent  off  Augusto  with  a  few  negroes 
to  the  villages,  to  request  the  people  to  sell  me  maize 
or  manioc,  and  explain  the  circumstances  under  which 
we  were  placed. 

The  only  reply  my  envoys  obtained  were  insults 
and  threatened  blows. 

Thereupon  I  collected  all  my  people  who  were  not 
completely  prostrated  by  exhaustion,  amounting  to 
some  eighty  semi-valiant  men. 

I  placed  myself  at  their  head,  and  at  once  attacked 
the  chief's  compound  ;  but,  after  a  skirmish  with  no 
casualties,  the  place  surrendered  at  discretion. 

I  lost  no  time  in  repairing  to  the  general  stores, 
which  were  full  of  sweet  potatoes,  and  took  out  the 
quantity   required   to  appease  my  people's  hunger, 


36<8 


THE  KING'S  EIFLE. 


returning  afterwards  to  the  camp  with  the  petty  chief 
and  a  few  other  negro  prisoners.  I  then  gave  them 
the  value  of  the  potatoes  in  beads  and  powder,  and 
set  them  at  liberty,  after  pointing  out  to  them  that  in 
future  it  would  be  far  better  to  act  in  a  more  hospitable 
spirit.  They  were  astounded  at  my  generosity,  and 
promised  to  supply  me  with  everything  I  needed 
directly  I  applied  for  it. 

At  1.30  p.m.  of  that  day,  the  sky  being  clear,  saving 
a  dark  bar  on  the  horizon,  a  hurricane  swept  down 
from  the  N.,  shifting  subsequently  to  the  S.W.  Its 
focus  was  fortunately  three-quarters  of  a  mile  to 
the  west  of  us,  where  it  tore  up  trees  and  destroyed 
everything  on  its  passage. 

Even  in  camp  the  wind  was  so  powerful  that  we 
were  compelled  to  lie  down  flat  on  the  ground  until 
its  chief  violence  was  spent. 

The  thermometer  rose  from  20  to  32  degrees,  and 
the  barometer  fell  from  667mm.  to  663.  This  was 
the  most  rapid  barometric  oscillation  that  I  observed 
in  tropical  Africa. 

At  2.30  the  wind  calmed  down  as  suddenly  as  it 
rose,  leaving  the  atmosphere  completely  covered  with 
a  dense  fog. 

The  villages,  which  lay  at  somewhat  less  than  a  mile 
to  the  south  of  where  I  was  camped,  are  called  Lutue  ; 
but  Caiumbuca  informed  me  that  among  the  Bihenos 
they  are  known  by  the  name  of  Cacapa,  on  account 
of  their  being  so  rich  in  sweet  potatoes,  which  in  the 
Hambundo  dialect  is  called  ecdpa. 

The  inhabitants  of  these  villages,  like  all  the  abori- 
gines of  the  Nhengo  plain,  are  of  the  Ganguella  race, 
subjected,  by  force,  to  the  Luinas,  or  Barozes.  They 
are  a  miserable  and  intractable  set. 

Towards  evening,  a  troop  of  Luinas  arrived  at  the 
camp.    It  appears  they  were  scouring  the  country 


THE  KING  OF  THE  AMBUELLAS'  DAUGHTERS.  369 


round,  and,  learning  that  it  was  my  intention  to  come 
to  a  halt  in  the  neighbourhood,  they  gave  me  a  look  up. 

The  band  was  commanded  by  three  chiefs,  the 
principal  of  wrhom  wras  named  Cicota. 

These  chiefs  were  wonderfully  civil,  and  offered  me 
their  services.  On  my  requesting  them  to  obtain 
provisions  for  me,  they  replied  that  they  were  them- 
selves badly  off  in  the  way  of  food  ;  but  that  on  the 
following  day  they  would  accompany  me  to  other 
villages,  where  resources  were  to  be  obtained.  They 
offered  to  guide  me  to  the  residence  of  the  King  of  the 
Lui,  and  said  I  should  want  for 
nothing  on  the  road  so  soon  as  I 
reached  the  Luina  villages,  now 
only  at  a  short  distance  from  us. 

My  Luina  visitors  were  of  good 
presence,  tall,  and  robust.  An  ante- 
lope's skin,  nicely  dressed,  passed 
between  the  legs  and  was  fastened 
to  the  leather  belt  in  front  and  at 
the  sides,  and  an  ample  mantle  of 
skins  completed  the  costume.  All 
three  chiefs  had  rifles,  of  large  bore, 
of  English  manufacture.  The  men 
carried  shields  of  an  oval  shape, 
measuring  4^  feet  long,  by  20  inches 
wide,  and  were  armed  with  a  sheaf 
of  assegais  for  casting.  The  chest 
and  arms  were  covered  with  amulets. 
The  wrists  were  adorned  with  brace- 
lets of  copper,  brass,  and  ivory,  and 
below  the  knees  were  from  three  to  Fig.  87.— Luina  Shielu 
five  very  fine  brass  bangles.  Their 
heads  were  the  most  remarkable,  not  on  account  of 
their  hair,  which  was  cut  short,  but  from  the  way  in 
which  they  were  adorned. 

vol.  i.  2  b 


370 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


That  of  the  chief,  Cicota,  for  example,  was  covered 
with  an  enormous  wig  made  out  of  a  lion's  mane.  The 
others  had  plumes  of  multi-coloured  feathers,  completely 
shadowing  their  features. 

During  the  night  we  were  visited  by  numerous 
scorpions,  and  some  of  my  men  were  bitten  by  them. 


Fig.  88— The  Chief  Cic6ta. 


The  ground  continued  spongy  and  wet,  which  must 
render  life  in  such  a  country  a  perfect  torment. 

The  palm-trees  appeared  in  greater  abundance ;  and 
the  termites  presented,  in  their  ingenious  habitations,  a 
new  form  and  aspect. 

On  August  22nd  I  broke  up  the  camp,  and  5 
hours  later  pitched  it  again,  close  to  the  village  of 
Canhete,  the  first  occupied  by  the  Luina  race.  A  dense 
fog  prevailed  during  the  morning. 


THE  KING  OF  THE  AMB UELLAS '  DAUGHTERS.  371 


We  passed  through  woods  composed  of  enormous 
trees,  but  without  any  jungle,  so  that  locomotion  was 
easy  and  pleasant. 

No  sooner  were  my  huts  raised,  than,  at  Cicota's 
instigation,  many  girls  came  into  camp,  bringing  me 
poultry,  manioc,  massamballa  and  earthy-nuts. 

During  the  whole  of  the  afternoon  presents  continued 
to  pour  in,  which  I  returned  in  the  best  way  I  could, 
so  that  before  nightfall  there  was  abundance  of  food  ! 


Fig.  89. — Ant-hills  of  the  Khengo. 


I  asked  for  tobacco  (of  which,  by  the  by,  I  had  still 
a  good  store),  and  salt.  Salt !  which  I  had  not  tasted 
for  many  months  past ! 

To  this  they  answered  that,  much  to  their  regret, 
they  were  unable  to  comply  with  my  wishes,  as  tobacco 
and  salt  could  neither  be  given  nor  sold  without  a 
special  licence  from  the  King. 

Hear  it,  ye  free-traders !  There  is  a  country  in  the 
heart  of  Africa  where  there  are  two  articles  of  contra- 
band !    Fortunately  there  are  no  custom-houses  yet. 

I  paid  a  visit  to  the  village  of  Canhete.  In  the  fields 
there  tobacco  and  the  sugar-cane  were  growing  in  the 
utmost  luxuriance. 

The  houses  were  built  of  reeds,  covered  with  thatch ; 
their  shape  being  sometimes  semi-cylindrical,  with  a 
radius  of  a  yard  and  a  half,  and  at  others  oval,  of  no 
greater  height  than  the  former. 


372 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


The  store-houses  or  granaries  are  similar  to  those 
of  the  Ambuella  villages,  but  of  smaller  dimensions. 

The  Luinas  returned  my  visit,  and  treated  me  in  the 
camp  to  a  war-dance,  a  very  picturesque  performance, 
in  which  a  masked  figure  played  the  part  of  buffoon. 

When  night  had  fallen,  my  negro  Cainga,  whom  I 
had  despatched  two  days  previously  to  the  King  to 
inform  him  of  my  arrival  in  his  country,  returned  in 
safety. 


Fig.  90. 

1  &  2.  Luina  houses,  4  ft.  7  in.  high.    3.  Granary.    4.  4.  Luina  hoe. 


With  him  came  various  chiefs,  bearing  presents  from 
his  Majesty,  among  which  were  6  oxen  ! 

I  could  scarcely  believe  my  eyes,  and  kept  repeating, 
"  Beef!    We  have  really  got  beef  to  eat !  " 

Cainga  told  me  that  he  seemed  very  proud  at  the 
idea  of  my  visiting  him  by  order  of  the  Mueneputo,  the 
White  King,  and  that  he  intended  giving  me  a  splendid 
reception. 


THE  KING  OF  THE  A  MB  UELLA  S '  DAUGHTERS.  373 


The  news  did  not  put  me  quite  at  my  ease,  for  I 
knew  the  negroes  well,  and  was  aware  of  the  treachery 
which  frequently  underlies  their  blandishments ;  never- 
theless, I  was  not  displeased  at  the  intelligence. 

With  a  view  to  display  his  greatness,  he  had  ordered 
many  boats  to  be  got  in  readiness,  so  that  my  whole 
caravan  might  cross  at  the  same  time. 

Cainga  informed  me  that  he  was  a  young  man  of 
some  twenty  years  of  age,  and  that  when  he  learned  I 
was  myself  young,  he  said  we  should  be  friends. 

I  ate  so  much  meat  and  so  many  potatoes,  seasoned 
too  with  salt,  which  I  obtained  through  contraband, 
that  I  made  myself  quite  ill,  and  passed  a  horrible 
night. 

The  Luina  chiefs,  who  came  direct  from  His  Majesty, 
brought  orders  for  the  people  to  supply  me  with  what  I 
wanted,  gratis.  This  was  a  mercy,  as  I  had  little  left 
to  pay  them  with. 

Just  as  I  was  breaking  up  my  camp,  fresh  envoys 
arrived  from  the  King,  bringing  salt  and  tobacco  as  a 
present,  and  with  them  a  message  desiring  me  not  to 
follow  the  direct  road  to  the  mouth  of  the  Nhengo, 
as  he  wished,  to  punish  the  inhabitants  of  the  villages 
lying  on  the  route,  by  depriving  them  of  the  pleasure 
of  my  visit. 

I  sent  word,  in  reply,  that  I  intended  to  come  by 
no  other  road,  as  it  was  the  one  that  would  suit  me 
best.  That  I  could  not  think  of  becoming  the  means 
whereby  he  should  punish  his  delinquent  subjects, 
and  that  if  he  did  not  send  me  boats  at  the  point  of 
the  Zambesi  I  had  indicated,  I  should  cross  the  river 
without  his  assistance. 

No  sooner  had  we  quitted  Canhete  than  we  fell  in 
with  a  horrible  swamp,  which,  though  scarcely  550 
yards  wide,  took  us  an  hour  to  pass.  We  travelled 
eastward,  and  3  hours  later  reached  the  village  of  Tapa, 


374 


THE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


where  I  accepted  a  house  offered  me  by  the  chief,  it 
being  impossible  to  camp  without  the  precincts  of  the 
village,  owing  to  the  swampy  character  of  the  ground. 

The  houses  in  this  place  were  shaped  like  a  trun- 
cated cone,  being  built  of  canes  plastered  both  inside 
and  out  with  mud.  The  doors  were  about  14  feet  high 
and  l(i  inches  wide.  The  house  I  occupied  was  sur- 
rounded by  another  one  of  granite,  of  concentric 
shape,  with  3  feet  greater  radius.  The  roof  covered 
both  houses,  and  was  also  formed  of  canes  covered  with 
thatch. 

The  chief  made  me  a  present  of  a  brace  of  fowls  and 
some  sweet  potatoes. 

I  marked,  at  2  miles  to  the  south  of  my  position,  the 
large  village  of  Aruchicho. 


Fig.  91. — Vertical  Section  of  a  Ldina  House  in  the 
Village  of  Tapa. 

a.  Interior  house,  b.  Space  between  the  two  walls,  c.  Internal  door,  ft.  by 
16  iii.  d.  External  door,  3  ft.  by  lj  ft.  e.  Ventilator.  /.  Wall,  of  cane  and 
mud.    g.  Cane  wall,  6  ft.    h.  Framing  of  cane.    k.  Thatch-roof. 

On  the  24th  August  we  started  at  8  o'clock  in  the 
morning.  After  crossing  a  swamp  similar  to  that  of  the 
day  before,  we  reached  the  right  bank  of  the  Nhengo 
at  9  o'clock ;  and,  keeping  along  it  until  half-past  10, 
we  arrived  at  that  hour  at  the  Zambesi. 


TEE  KING  OF  THE  AMB UELLA S *  DAUGHTERS.  375 


With  what  enthusiasm  did  I  not  salute  the  grand 
river !  A  group  of  hippopotami  were  poking  their 
huge  snouts  out  of  the  water,  at  some  30  yards'  dis- 
tance, and  two  of  them  fell  victims  to  their  imprudence. 
An  enormous  crocodile,  that  was  hasking  in  the  sun 
on  an  island  hard  by,  shortly  after  shared  the  same 
fate. 

I  had  thus  appropriately  saluted  the  mighty 
Liambai,  by  dyeing  its  waters  with  the  blood  of  its 
ferocious  denizens ! 

It  was  while  the  enthusiasm  of  my  own  people  and 
of  the  numerous  Luinas  who  accompanied  me  was 
at  its  height  that  the  King's  canoes  arrived,  and  at 
mid-day  we  crossed  to  the  left  bank  of  the  river. 

Keeping  still  in  an  easterly  direction,  at  2  o'clock 
we  fell  in  with  another  branch  of  the  Liambai,  which 
separates  from  it  near  Nariere.  We  therefore  pro- 
ceeded to  a  large  island,  on  which  there  are  hamlets, 
the  chief  of  which  is  Liondo. 

The  branch  of  the  river  above  referred  to,  although 
164  yards  wide,  is  very  shallow,  and  we  waded  across 
it.  On  the  other  bank  a  good  many  natives  were 
assembled,  envoys  of  the  King. 

Still  proceeding  on,  at  3  o'clock  I  arrived  at  a  large 
lake  near  the  village  of  Liara,  which  I  crossed  in  a  boat. 
This  lake,  formed  by  the  overflowing  of  the  Zambesi 
in  the  rainy  season,  is  called  Noroco. 

My  course  continued  easterly,  and  led  through  a 
perfect  labyrinth  of  little  lakes  that  had  to  be  avoided, 
and  it  was  not  until  5  in  the  evening  that  I  reached 
Lialui,  the  great  capital  of  the  Baro^e  or  Kingdom  of 
the  Lui. 

I  found  the  King  had  drawn  up  a  programme  ! 

Two  great  surprises  had,  therefore,  come  upon  me 
within  scarcely  more  than  as  many  days ;  for  they  were 
surprises  to  one  who  was  already  half  a  savage,  and 


376 


TEE  KING'S  RIFLE. 


upon  whose  memory  European  customs  were  growing 
dim.  Tobacco  and  salt  were  articles  of  contraband, 
and  here  was  an  African  king  making  programmes  ! 

Some  twelve  hundred  warriors  were  drawn  up 
in  parallel  lines,  extending  to  the  house  I  was  pro- 
visionally to  occupy,  and  one  of  the  grandees  of  the 
Court,  accompanied  by  30  attendants,  formed  my 
suite. 

On  my  arrival  at  the  Uouse,  which  had  a  large  pateo 
or  court-yard,  surrounded  by  a  cane  fence,  I  found  a 
dais,  on  which  I  was  compelled  to  sit  to  receive  the 
compliments  of  the  Court. 

Four  of  the  Kings  counsellors,  with  Gambella  their 
President  at  their  head,  then  arrived.  At  their  back 
came  all  the  grandees  forming  the  Court  of  King 
Lobossi . 

They  seated  themselves,  and  then  began,  both  on 
their  side  and  mine,  a  series  of  compliments  and  cere- 
monies, with  a  thousand  protestations  of  friendship. 

When  they  gravely  retired,  their  place  was  taken 
by  other  envoys,  who  only  left  me  when  night  had 
fallen. 

I  was  then  able  to  retire  to  the  house  set  apart  for 
me,  and  which  was  one  of  those  semi-cylindrical  ones  I 
have  already  described  ;  but  I  got  little  or  no  sleep, 
owing  to  my  speculations  on  the  future  of  my  enter- 
prise. 

As  the  reader  knows,  I  was  at  the  end  of  my 
resources ;  and  if  the  King  did  not  energetically  pa- 
tronise my  journey,  what  could  I  do  ?  But  for  his 
generosity,  I  should  not  at  that  moment  have  had 
wherewith  to  stay  the  pangs  of  hunger. 

He  had  informed  me  that  next  day  we  should  meet 
and  converse.  What  would  be  the  result  of  our 
conference  ?  That  Gambella,  the  President  of  the 
Council,  who  had  only  recently   left  me,  the  man 


THE  KING  OF  THE  AMBJJELLAS '  DAUGHTERS.  377 

who,  as  I  was  informed  on  all  sides,  was  the  de  facto 
king,  how  would  he  act  towards  me  ? 

The  following  chapter  will  show  that  it  was  not 
without  reason  that  an  undefined  presentiment  of  evil 
took  possession  of  my  mind,  and  caused  me  that  sleep- 
less night  on  the  24th  of  August,  1878. 


END  OF  VOL.  I. 


